A Little Magic
by GeekChic12
Summary: After four long years, Bella finally gets what she's been missing, but it's not enough. She needs more. Will she find it in the most unlikely of places? They say when you're not looking, that's when love finds you. AH, Rated M for l & l. ExB
1. Roll In The Hay

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. It's her world; I'm just visiting.**

**Massive thanks to Nuttyginger, Jess, and rosellebec for their pre-reading and beta work on this! **

**A/N: First-timer, so please be gentle.**

**This story is personal to me. It will be mostly fluff, a splash (okay, maybe a quart) of citrus, possibly a pinch of angst, and a little drama - hopefully all the stuff we love about fanfiction. (Well, except slash, BDSM...you get the idea.)**

**And don't worry...this IS ExB :)**

******(If you'd prefer to skip the lemon in this chapter, I understand. ;) I'll mark the start of it with a line break)******

**Enjoy! See you at the bottom.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

_**September 13, 2002**_

_Ugh, how did I let this happen? _

I shake my head as I look out over the writhing mass of bodies in front of me - Nelly's _Hot in Here_ inspiring most of them to rub up against one another.

Strangely, I'm both repulsed and amused at the same time.

For some reason, I let Alice - my crazy cousin, who's also my roommate - talk me into letting her take me out for my 24th birthday.

I must have been out of my mind.

We're at a dance club. Two things wrong with this picture: one, I don't dance, and two, I hate clubs. I always feel like I'm on display for all the horny guys on the prowl for a quick drunken fuck.

_Yeah, no thanks._

Don't get me wrong. I could definitely use a good "roll in the hay."

_Wait. Roll in th- What am I, ninety?_

It's clearly been _way_ too long.

I lost my virginity exactly four years ago, on my 20th birthday, only to enter into a long-as-fuck dry spell.

Pun fucking intended.

What sucks the most about this seemingly never-ending dry spell is that I _really_ enjoy sex, to the point of almost being insatiable. I wasn't too surprised to discover that about myself, since I'm no stranger to self-love. But it's just a whole other ballgame when another person is helping you reach that peak with their entire body.

_Hands roaming, lips exploring, hips thrusting..._

And the strange part is that I have a feeling the one and only guy I've slept with wasn't even that great in bed. He just got lucky that I'm extremely easy to please.

Mike_ 'Douchebag'_ Newton, as I lovingly call him, was a real winner. Soon after spending a sex-filled weekend with him, I discovered he only wanted my virginity as a trophy before he went back to whatever circle of hell he came from.

Arizona, if I remember correctly.

In some ways, I hate him for doing this to me. I hate that he was the one who took my innocence, but even more than that, I hate that he gave me a taste of something I now crave.

My friend, Jake, always says that 'girls can have sex whenever they want.' We supposedly hold all the power. I guess that's true to some extent. It's definitely true if you can separate emotions from sex and want to give it up to any random dude you meet in a bar. But I just can't bring myself to do that.

Sometimes, I really wish I could.

"Alice, can we please just go home?" I practically whine. "Seriously, this is _so_ not my scene. My computer is calling my _name_."

Oh, yeah. I'm a total gamer geek, but you'd never guess by looking at me - or so I'm told.

"Bella, shut it. You just need to get some alcohol in you and loosen up a bit. Your beloved computer will still be there in a few hours." Her eyes roll so far back in her head, that for a second she looks like she's having a seizure. "And we look hot, so there's no way I'm letting you go home and sit in front of your damn screen all night where no one will even see you!" Her voice has risen in pitch, and she's almost screeching, and yeah...Alice is pissed.

I mumble something about it being called a monitor, not a screen.

"What?" she snaps.

"Never mind. Sorry, I'll try to relax. These places just make me uncomfortable. You're right, though. We need drinks."

I head to the bar and get us some Malibu and pineapple. When I return to Alice, she does not look happy with my choice.

"You need something stronger than that, Bella," she protests, pointing her little finger at the drink I'm about to start sipping.

"No I don't," I respond, rolling my eyes. "You know I'm a total lightweight. I don't want to get completely trashed."

"Bella, it's your birthday! Freaking live a little, will ya?" She tosses her hands up in the air and takes off toward the bar.

_Shit._

Alice comes back a few minutes later with two big, fat Long Island Iced Teas.

_Oh. Holy. Lord._

"Aaalice…"

"Bellaaa…"

"That's like, the strongest drink you could have possibly ordered," I complain, looking at the offending glass as if it's going to bite me.

"I doubt that, but it doesn't matter. You need to have fun tonight, and I know you'll have fun if you drink a few of _these_ bad boys!"

"A few, Alice? Are you crazy?"

Why even ask? Of course she's crazy. She drank an entire bottle of vanilla vodka by herself at our last New Year's party; then proceeded to dance on our dining room table and start stripping. I had to drag her ass to bed and stay up to make sure she didn't choke on her puke after she passed out. I couldn't hold it against her too much though, since she had just turned 21 that December.

Unsurprisingly, she treats my questions rhetorically and plucks my "girly drink" out of my hand, just as I'm about to take another sip.

"Alice, I did pay for those you know. We might as well drink them too," I say dejectedly, because I know I'm going to lose this drink debate. In fact, I lose most debates when it comes to Alice now that I think about it.

_Bitch._

"Don't worry, before long we won't be buying our own drinks anyway. Like I said, we look hot!" she yells over the music pulsing through the club.

She speaks the truth, I'll admit. We both have on dark jeans, sparkly halter tops, and sky high stilettos.

Yeah, Alice dressed me.

I'm not sure how she talked me into the heels, but they do make my ass and legs look great. And since I don't dance, I'm really hoping for zero face-plants tonight.

I'm not what one would call graceful.

~XXXXX~

About an hour and four drinks later, I'm in the middle of the aforementioned repulsively amusing mass, with my ass up against one of the guys who bought us our third and fourth drinks.

_Wait, didn't I say I don't dance?_

He has blue eyes…I think, and I've always had a bit of a weakness for blue eyes. Well, any light eyes really, because mine are dark brown. Boring.

His hands are all over me - mainly my ass. And I'm feeling good, so I don't mind so much. Alice has some giant of a guy all up in her kool-aid, and it's pretty hilarious to watch. She's literally at least a foot shorter than him, but he's hunched down as far as he can go and grinding against her like there's no tomorrow.

We finally make our way back to one of the little tables off to the side, and of course the guys follow us. We've been letting them grope us for the last half hour, so it's no surprise.

I'm giggling like an idiot, because I've seriously had way more to drink than I've probably ever had in my life.

"Whas yer name again?"

_Woah, slurring…lovely._

"Demetri, and that's my roommate, Felix, remember?" He points to the guy still hunched over Alice, who's giggling as he whispers in her ear.

Excessive giggling is not a good sign.

_Thank God we took a cab here._

"Oh yeah!" I say a little too enthusiastically, and Demetri just laughs at me. I sway a little, and he grabs my elbow to steady me. I just look at him for a minute, trying to focus on his face. I think he's good-looking, but since there're two of him at the moment, it's hard to tell.

"You are so beautiful," he says to me as he tucks a piece of my wild, wavy hair behind my ear. I look down at the floor, blush, and giggle again, because I'm really not used to compliments like that. I've always felt pretty plain. When I look back up at him, he's closer than he was just a second ago. At least, I think he is.

His breath is warm on my face.

_Definitely. Closer. _

I think he might kiss me.

I can kiss a random guy, right? It is my birthday after all.

I turn my head to where Alice is, and it looks like Felix is trying to eat her face.

_Gross._

As I turn back to Demetri with a sigh, he closes the distance between us and brings his lips to mine.

Warm, wet.

_Nice._

I sigh again, and he deepens the kiss, resting one hand low on my back while the other moves up into my hair. Demetri kisses and sucks on my lips, occasionally stroking my tongue with his. It's been a while for this too, so I'm thoroughly enjoying the feelings he's evoking in me. He pulls me closer, and his arousal presses against my stomach. I brazenly ghost my hand over the front of his jeans - _stupid Long Island Iced Teas -_ and he hisses into my mouth.

_Okay, that was kind of hot._

Next thing I know, Alice is pulling me toward the exit. Apparently, we're close to the guys' apartment, so we all stumble to their place. As soon as we're in the door, Alice and Felix disappear into his bedroom.

_Traitors._

It's okay though, because I've decided Demetri is going to break my dry spell.

Fuck it. I'm 24 years old. I deserve some sexing.

We're still standing in the living room, and he pulls me close to him again. I teeter a little on my heels and look into his eyes. Unfortunately, my brain-to-mouth filter has drowned in alcohol, so I say the first thing that comes to mind.

"You have eyes like the sea after a storm."

_The Princess Bride, Swan? Really?_

He just chuckles at me and caresses my cheek with the back of his hand.

"Is tha yer room?" I slur-ask, pointing to the closed door next to Felix's.

Demetri doesn't say anything. He just grabs my hand and pulls me toward said door.

Once we're inside, he's all over me. He smells good: clean and a little woodsy mixed with alcohol. I start unbuttoning his shirt and licking his chest.

_When did I start licking guys' chests?_

Oh well, whatever. He seems to like it.

After pushing his shirt off his shoulders, I run my hands over them. I have a thing for shoulders and arms. Apparently, Demetri has a thing for my ass, because his hands are on it again. He's squeezing me through my jeans, and I'm kissing his neck. Pulling back, I quickly lift my shirt off over my head.

I didn't wear a bra tonight, because my top really wouldn't accommodate one. Plus, my breasts aren't huge, so it's not that big of a deal. It's obvious he likes them though, because he's staring intently.

You know how sometimes you get to the point where you just crave physical contact? That intense _need_ to feel someone else's body pressed against your own, skin on skin? After four years of no boyfriends (a tendency to play video games for hours on end and douchebag-induced trust issues will have that effect) I am to that point.

Our bare chests crash together, and this is what I've been craving.

_Contact. _

I push my breasts up against him, and his hands attach to my ass again. He lifts me up, and my legs instinctively go around his waist. Our kisses are drunk and sloppy, and our teeth keep clacking together.

Demetri drops me onto his bed, and I bounce once and giggle - _again_. He starts to remove his jeans, so I do the same. Or at least I try to. He has to help me, because I forgot my shoes were still on. It takes him a while to figure out the straps on my heels, but once he does, he yanks my jeans so hard, I nearly go flying off the end of the bed.

By this time, I'm cracking up laughing, and any lingering nerves are all but forgotten.

I'm wiping the tears of laughter out of my eyes when I suddenly realize I'm only wearing my panties, and Demetri is looking at me like I'm something to eat.

_Hello again, nerves._

I watch as his eyes, dark with lust, roam up and down my body. He leans down and starts to crawl toward me on the bed.

Right at this moment, I'm really glad I shaved my legs today. I don't do it as often as I probably should. I sort of hate doing it, and there's not really anyone to do it _for_. Living in Washington also means I'm pale as a ghost, so it's not like I'm wearing shorts all the time.

_Focus, Bella._

* * *

><p>Demetri runs his hands up my thighs, getting closer to his destination. His eyes are on my lace-covered sex as he brings his hands to my hips. He then locks eyes with me as he hooks his fingers into the sides of my damp panties and slides them down my legs.<p>

I'm so aroused by this point that I know it won't take much for me to get there. He gives me a wink and lightly kisses each of my hipbones. I know where he's headed, but I don't feel comfortable with him doing that, as crazy as it sounds. Plus, it's not necessary for me to get mine. So I crook my finger toward me to indicate that I want him up here and kiss him again.

"Condom?"

He immediately jumps off me to search for one.

_Eager much?_

_Yes._

When he comes back down to me, I open my legs to accommodate him, and his cloth covered erection presses against my sensitive flesh. A small moan escapes my lips, and I tug at the waistband of his boxers until he gets the hint. Within seconds, they're on the floor with the rest of our clothes.

It's been so long; I almost feel like a virgin again. This thought sobers me up a little, and my body tenses for a second. Demetri feels me stiffen and asks me if I'm sure I want to do this. We both know I'm drunk, and he doesn't want to take advantage of that.

Most guys aren't that nice. They would just plow ahead, so to speak.

I bite my bottom lip and nod.

I _am_ sure I want to do this. I'm just a little nervous.

"It's just been a while, sorry."

"It's okay. I can go slow if you need me to."

_Aww, he's sweet_.

"Yeah, maybe at first?"

He kisses me again and brings one hand down to where I want him the most. He dips one finger in. "God, you're so wet for me already."

I hear a breathy moan come from somewhere.

Oh, that's me.

He cups my breast with his free hand and swipes his thumb across its rosy peak. I'm writhing underneath him as his finger pumps in and out of me. As soon as he adds a second finger, I'm clenching and shuddering through my release.

"Damn, baby, that was fast." He softly kisses my neck and then behind my ear.

I shrug, because I've always been fairly quick to orgasm. Even with _'Douchebag,'_ I had multiples. And although I have nothing to compare him to yet, I'm still convinced it was more because I'm lucky in that department, not because he was that good.

I guess I'll find out soon enough…

I start to get impatient because he's still just kissing my neck. It feels good, but I'm ready to get this show on the road. He takes my earlobe between his teeth and bites down gently.

_Okay that's it. It's go time._

I reach down and grab his cock, causing him to hiss again right by my ear.

_Still hot. _

Somewhere in my post-orgasmic haze, he's managed to get the condom open and on, so we've skipped some of the awkward fumbling. Definitely a good thing, since my impatience and drunkenness probably would have made me do something stupid otherwise.

I line him up until I feel his tip at my entrance, and he waits for my nod before pushing into me slowly. I spread my legs a little wider as he pushes in, and once he's in fully, he just stops. I tilt my hips to encourage him to move.

He buries his face in my neck as he pulls back just a little, pushes in, and stops again.

"Mmmmm, you're so tight," he grits out.

_Yeah, that's because you're only the second guy to be in there, and the first one was nothing to write home about_.

I have enough sense to keep that one to myself.

I just let out a throaty moan as I wrap my legs around him and feel him go a little deeper.

After some encouragement from me, he starts to find a steady rhythm.

It's been such a long time, and I'm so overwhelmed by all the sensations I'm feeling. My hips begin meeting his thrust for thrust, and my moans get louder and louder.

This seems to spur Demetri into action.

I feel him shift, and he's sitting up on his heels. Grasping my hips, he hoists my bottom half off the bed and starts pulling me to him as he thrusts, setting a punishing pace.

_Yeah, screw going slow._

I reach over my head and grab onto the wrought iron bars of his headboard for some leverage, arching my back a little. This angle makes him hit _all_ the right places inside me, and before long…

"De-…Demetri, I…I'm going to…oh God…please let me…"

He stills for a moment as my walls clench violently around him. My head is thrown back, eyes squeezed shut, and my entire body seizes up, before all but collapsing back down on the bed. He gives me no time to come down from my high, though, and starts pounding into me mercilessly.

I'm not exactly complaining.

What I _am_ doing, is biting my lip to hold back my screams so that Alice won't think I'm being murdered. Although, judging by the sounds coming from the other side of the wall, she's enjoying herself too much to care.

I quickly begin to feel my third orgasm building, and Demetri leans down and sucks one of my nipples into his mouth - hard.

_Yep, that'll do it._

As I start to clench around him again, I feel him find his own release as a few profanities leave his mouth.

He collapses on top of me with a little grunt.

"Ahh, thank you," I breathe out.

Vibrations skitter across my sensitive skin from his laughter.

"No. Thank _you_."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, now don't be too hard on Bella. She has needs, you know. :P And you wouldn't be mad at her if it was Edward she went home with, right? Right. ;) Although, I don't recommend going home with a stranger from a bar. It's not the safest thing to do, even with a buddy like Alice.**

**Now, I know Demetri is no Edward, but just remember how hot he looked in Breaking Dawn. But with sweet blue eyes. :)**

**If you can stick with me for one more, we'll meet our leading man in chapter 3.**

**I'm not sure if this is necessary, but: I don't own The Princess Bride, and I have nothing against Arizona...mostly.**

****Thanks so much for reading! A review would be much appreciated if you have the time.****

**Story Rec: A Compendium of Thoughts by ItIsRaining - After Edward is struck with a serious illness, Bella offers to give him a ride to school every day. His musings on life are priceless and unique. Based in its entirety on a true story. - Complete (This story is relatively short and so beautiful. It's one of my all time faves!)**


	2. Dirty Blond

**A/N: Alright, I couldn't wait a whole week and leave you hanging with Bella in bed with Demetri. After this, I'll stick with once a week! Probably... :)**

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. It's her world; I'm just visiting.**

**Massive thanks to Nuttyginger, Jess, and rosellebec for their pre-reading and beta work on this! **

* * *

><p><span><strong>C<strong>**hapter 2**

I'm drifting in and out of sleep, trying to ignore the orange light streaming through my eyelids.

_Just five more minutes._

Movement to my left makes me bolt upright, completely disoriented.

_Ow, FUCK. My head. _

As I grip my pounding skull, the sheet pools around my waist, causing my bare nipples to stand at attention.

_Bare nipples? Oh, God. Am I naked?_

What the fuck did I do?

_I'm going to KILL Alice._

Flashes of memories from the night before start to make it through the haze: drinking, dancing, bumping, grinding, _fucking giggling, _kissing…sexing.

_Shit._

I guess the dry spell is finally over. And judging by the soreness I feel as I shift around a bit and the light bruising on my hips, I took quite a pounding. I'm going to assume it was a satisfying pounding at that.

I peek over the side of the bed as I pull the sheet back up over my chest and spot a condom packet on the floor.

_Oh, thank you, sweet baby Jesus._

At least I wasn't stupid drunk enough to not use protection.

I'm brought out of my thoughts by a very male groan, which makes me grip the sheet tighter around my torso. I roll my eyes at myself, because clearly this person has already been acquainted with my lady parts.

In fact, his left hand has started wandering a bit and seems to want to get to know them even better.

I look over to the pillow next to mine and see a mess of dirty blond hair. I can't see his face, but I do remember really liking his blue eyes. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I gingerly lift the sheet. Underneath is a nice, defined back and fairly delectable ass sitting atop long, toned legs.

_Hmmm, not bad. Not bad at all. _

At least I didn't go home with a total troll. I also have vague memories of him being kind of sweet…despite the bruising.

Now, I just need to figure out how to get out of here without waking him up or making a complete fool of myself. I'm not exactly well versed in the "walk of shame."

As I try to ninja my way out of the bed, the door cracks open just a bit, and spiky black hair appears, followed by wide grey eyes.

_Yeah, hi…_

I give Alice a little wave with one hand, while clutching the sheet with the other. As she watches me try to maneuver around this dude and his roving hand, she has to stifle a giggle. My wave quickly transforms into my favorite one-fingered hand gesture.

Her eyes widen a bit before she backs away and quietly closes the door. After which, I hear a distinctly familiar cackle from the hallway.

_Laugh it up._

I make it out of the bed without waking…um…whatever his name is. We'll call him _'dirty blond'_ for now.

_Jesus, this is sad._

Okay, panties…

_Uh, where the fuck _are_ they_?

Evidently, I was not the one who removed them, because I finally locate them draped over a lampshade across the room.

Could this possibly get any more embarrassing?

Okay, jeans: check. Bra…

_Oh yeah, didn't wear one._

Well, at least my hungover brain doesn't have to battle it out with hook & eye closures. Score one for Alice and her fashion powers of persuasion.

Skimpy shirt: check. Shoes: check.

I smooth my sex hair down as best I can and sneak out the bedroom door into the short hallway. The smell of food cooking immediately assaults my nostrils, and my stomach rolls.

Is Alice seriously making breakfast for this guy? I just want to get the hell out of here.

Walking into the eat-in kitchen, I spot a ginormous guy sitting at a tiny square table devouring a plate of pancakes.

I might puke.

Alice is sitting across from him, sipping on some coffee. Upon seeing me, she jumps up and starts filling a large glass with water.

She always knows just what I need.

"Thank you. Aspirin?"

Two pills appear in my waiting palm.

"Thanks again," I rasp.

I swallow the pills and guzzle most of the water. When I open my eyes, I see the big guy grinning knowingly at me. My cheeks instantly heat up, and I just know I'm turning a lovely shade of magenta right about now.

"Morning, sunshine!"

"Um, morning. Could you please not, uh…bellow?" I have no other word to describe it. I'm not actually sure if he spoke any louder than normal, but it sure feels like it in my head.

"Sorry," he laughs.

"It's okay, uh…"

"Felix."

"Right. Um, Alice, we should probably get going." I'm giving her the wide eyes, letting her know I mean right the fuck now. I'd like to be gone before _'dirty blond'_ wakes up.

Needless to say, I'm a bit mortified by my behavior last night. Alice clearly does not share this mortification, since she's pleasantly enjoying her morning coffee with the jolly giant over there.

"You sure you don't want to stay for pancakes?" said giant bellows once again.

"Oh. No thanks." I give him a small smile. "Please tell…uh…"

_Gah, seriously! WHAT is his name?_

"Demetri."

"Right, Demetri."

The answer is clearly yes. This _can_ get more embarrassing.

"Please tell Demetri I had a nice time and um, thanks," I say with a tight smile.

"I'm sure he'll be up soon. Please, make yourself at home. Ali here has."

_Obviously._

"Oh. No, that's okay. I'm sure he needs his sleep, but thank you for having us."

My hand immediately clamps over my mouth, and my eyes go wide.

Felix is trying not to laugh at my inadvertent dirty joke. I think he's finally realized how uncomfortable I am.

Alice, on the other hand, is giggling like the evil little sprite she is.

_Bitch._

"Er, I mean thanks for your hospitality, but we really should get home." I manage to pull my foot out of my mouth and remain relatively composed, considering I'm _dying_ inside.

Alice finally has mercy on me and gets up to put her coffee mug in the sink.

"Alright, big guy. I guess we're outta here." Felix pats his leg, and Alice perches her little ass on it, wrapping her arms around his rather impressive neck. "Thanks, babe. I had a lot of fun," she coos at him, brushing her little nose over his.

Again, I might puke.

"Any time, doll-face." He gives her an admittedly sweet peck on the lips, but when she stands, he not-so-sweetly smacks her on the ass. This, of course, makes her giggle yet again.

When she's finally ready to go, relief floods through me, and I can't get out of there fast enough.

~XXXXXX~

Later that evening, after an epic nap and much needed shower, I'm feeling a bit more human.

Alice finds me sitting on our couch watching some re-runs of Roseanne and plops down next to me.

"Okay, spill."

I give her the side-eye. "Spill? I think you know what happened, Alice."

"What's the big deal, Bella? It's just sex. People have it all the time," she says flippantly, stealing one of my chips.

"I know that, but not me," I respond with a groan. "As much as I enjoyed it, I'm just not looking for meaningless hook-ups."

"So you _did_ enjoy it?" she asks with a barely repressed grin.

"If you must know, yes. From what I remember, it was pretty freaking hot," I admit somewhat reluctantly. "Way better than _'Douchebag.'_"

Alice needs no explanation. She knows who I mean.

She scoots closer to me on the couch. "So then, why didn't you talk to him at all this morning? Give the guy a chance?"

I cover my face with my hands and talk through them. "I was just too embarrassed. The Bella he met last night is not me. I'm sure he'd be pretty disappointed with the real me."

_Smack_

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Don't talk about my cousin that way," Alice grumbles.

I'm still rubbing the spot on my arm where she smacked the shit out of me.

She's freakishly strong, that one.

"You know what I mean, Alice. I'm not carefree, 'take-me-home-and-fuck-me' Bella. I'm computer game-playing, boring, bank teller Bella. I'm not exciting and fun like I was last night."

At this, Alice is beaming.

"Yes, I admit I had fun," I say with a laugh.

"Bella, you _are_ fun. I know you want to meet 'the one,' but you're never going to get anywhere if you can't put yourself out there, sweetie." The sympathetic look on her face annoys me a tiny bit.

"I know," I respond with a heavy sigh. "It's hard being out of school and working full time. I just don't meet anyone, and I really don't see myself starting a relationship off with a one-night stand."

"Hey, it happens," she says with a wry grin.

"So, you and Felix?"

"Maybe." She shrugs. "I don't know. We definitely had fun, but I'm not so sure he's boyfriend material. The man can make a mean pancake though."

"Wow, I thought _you_ cooked _him_ breakfast. I was wondering where _that_ came from."

"Shut up, I can cook," she says with a laugh, because she knows I'm just teasing.

"Well anyway, I'm definitely ready to find the right guy. I just don't want to have to go through a lot of wrong ones to get there," I attempt to explain.

Alice nods. "I get that."

"I also have the feeling that if or when the right one does come along, things will move fast."

Her eyebrows shoot up. "Faster than a one night stand?"

_Well, shit._

"You know what I mean, Al. I'm talking about the real thing here. Love."

"Well, you're probably right about that. You've always been pretty quick to fall," Alice responds sagely.

"Yeah, it would be nice if my heart worked a little slower though. So far, it's only come back to bite me in the ass. I mean, look at what happened with Mike, and of course there was Jake before that." I sigh. "I'm probably destined to be alone."

I completely fell in love with Jake during college, but we had the worst timing.

He was actually crushing on me early on, while I was after his friend, Paul. By the time I realized what a jerk Paul was and started noticing how sweet and attentive Jake was, he had gotten over me. Luckily through it all, we've remained great, albeit long-distance, friends, but it's never going to be more than that.

Sadly, I was so hung up on him during those couple of years that I didn't try to meet anyone else. Then there was Mike, and yeah, we all know how that went down.

~XXXXX~

The next day is Sunday, thank goodness. I definitely need another day to recuperate before the work-week starts.

I grab some cereal and sit down at my computer. After perusing my games for a minute, I decide to pull up the new one I downloaded a few nights ago. It's called Magic: The Gathering Online. A guy I play Ultima Online with suggested it to me.

It's quite different from anything I've played before, so I still don't know what the hell I'm doing. It's a card game, but not regular cards, like Ace through King. It has creature cards, sorcery cards, etc., that players use to battle against one another.

There are also five different card colors – red, white, green, black, and blue. Red is mostly direct damage, while white includes a lot of healing, and so forth. You get to make up your own decks consisting of whichever colors you prefer.

I log in and start building a deck with mostly green and white cards. After spending about a half hour putting it together, I think it's pretty good, so I start trying to find a game to join to test it out.

Hours later, I've met a few nice people and am completely addicted. No surprise there, really. I love the strategy of it, and it's just plain fun.

I go to bed that night having mostly forgotten the embarrassment of my drunken sexcapade with _'dirty blond'_…err Demetri.

I have a feeling I'll still be walking a little funny tomorrow though.

~XXXXX~

Mondays at the bank are always a bit crazy.

These are the days when I _really_ wish I had finished college. That's kind of difficult though, when you have no idea what the hell you want to do with your life.

I'm the commercial teller, so it's my responsibility to handle deposits and make change for business owners. The commercial window is always busiest in the mornings, so I have to make sure to have enough small bills and coin. As you can guess, Mondays are the worst.

I really hate these giant ass boxes of coin, but luckily, we have a rolling cart to get them from the vault to my station. Unfortunately though, I still have to move them around quite a lot throughout the day.

Just after I return to my station from lunch, I spot a dirty blond head of hair out in the lobby.

My heart goes into overdrive, and I immediately duck down and hide like the coward I am.

Alice is in _so_ much trouble.

"Bella?"

_Shit._

"Oh, hi-" I peek up from my hiding place.

Okay, not the blond I thought it was.

"James," he says, looking at me like I have a brain injury as I stand up.

"I know, sorry. I was just distracted, trying to move these coin boxes around a bit."

Not _total_ bullshit.

"How are you, James?"

"Good, how are you? Did you have a nice weekend? I'm so sorry I missed you on your birthday, but they told me you took the weekend off."

_Wow, take a breath, dude._

How to explain James…

Well, James has been coming here to cash his paychecks every Friday afternoon for several months now. He's been flirting with me ever since the first time I helped him. He seems relatively harmless, but he has said some creepy things here and there. For instance, he talks about what it will be like once we're married - yeah, weird. I also sometimes conveniently see him around town, and he'll be staring right at me, even if I'm in my car.

So far, I haven't been too worried, but he's still a concern. I have to try really hard not to lead him on in any way.

"Oh yeah, my boyfriend wanted to take me away for the weekend. It was very nice. Thank you for asking."

I also _may_ have led him to believe that I have a boyfriend.

Okay, so I try to talk about my imaginary boyfriend every chance I get. However, so far, this has not deterred him.

"Ah, I see. That was nice of him, I guess," he says, looking a little defeated.

Maybe he keeps the hope alive that we'll break up. Of course, that won't happen since it's all in my head.

In my head, I have the perfect boyfriend.

Don't judge me.

"Yes, he's very sweet. "

"Well, I brought you these." A huge bouquet of pink roses is shoved into my face.

"Wow, James, these are really nice, but I think my boyfriend might question me about them if I take them home."

_Don't lead him on. Don't lead him on._

"You can just keep them here and put them in a vase in your teller window," he responds in a hopeful voice. "I mean, all the other girls will probably be jealous of you. Wouldn't that be fun?"

"Uh…sure, James. Thanks."

Yeah, that's not happening.

I reluctantly take the roses from him and set them aside. As I look back at James's expectant face, I see someone step up behind him. It's one of my commercial customers, Mr. Berty.

Mr. Berty runs the 7-Eleven down the street. His transactions always take forever because he doesn't sort his money beforehand. This usually annoys the ever-loving shit out of me, but at this moment I've never been happier to see him.

"I'm sorry, James, but I need to help Mr. Berty. Thank you again for the flowers. They're very pretty."

"Oh, you're welcome, Bella, but they're nowhere near as pretty as you."

_Gag_

"I hope they don't get you into trouble with your boyfriend or anything."

_Yeah, that's a believable statement, since you're grinning from ear to ear. _

_Jackass._

"Oh no, I'm sure it will be fine. He's really not the jealous type. He knows how much I love him." I smile sweetly.

"Right. Well, have a good day Bella. I'll see you soon."

"Okay, James. You have a nice day too."

God, he puts me on edge.

My manager, Shelley, comes to check on me after I'm finished with Mr. Berty, because she knows James makes me a little nervous. I let her know everything is fine.

I decide to just take the damn flowers home, since I don't want to display my stalker roses at work. It's not like I have a boyfriend to "get into trouble" with anyway.

_Sigh_

~XXXXX~

That evening, I have dinner with Alice. At first, she gets excited about the roses, until I tell her who they're from.

"Oh, damn. I thought maybe Demetri would-"

"What?"

"Um…never mind. So James, the creeper, came in just to see you today? He didn't even have a check to cash?"

"Nice try, Alice. Why did you think they came from Demetri? Did you tell him where I work?"

"Well, I might have mentioned it to Felix."

I scowl at her, and she rushes to continue.

"He said he didn't think Demetri would really act on it though, since you made it abundantly clear that you didn't want to see him anymore. You know, because you walked out without so much as a word and didn't leave your phone number or anything." She cocks an eyebrow at me.

"Good, I'm glad the message was received." I cock my eyebrow right back at her.

"Jeez Bella, you'd think he was the Hunchback of Notre Dame or some shit."

I snort.

"The guy is nice and decent looking, and you did say you had a good time," she finishes by waggling her eyebrows.

"Can you please just drop it, Alice? It's not happening."

She puts her hands up in surrender. "Alright, fine. I'm just trying to get you to spread your wings a bit."

Another snort. "You mean my legs?"

This time_ I_ get a scowl from _her_. "It just seems like all you ever do is play those stupid computer games," she says with mild disgust coloring her tone.

"Alice, just because you don't enjoy them, that does not make them stupid," I repeat for the millionth time since we've lived together.

"Fine, I won't meddle - this time," she says pointedly.

_Riiight._

* * *

><p><strong>Who thinks Alice will keep her promise? We'll see...<strong>

**Okay, now that we've kind of established who Bella is, we might get to meet a certain green-eyed gentleman next chapter, and things will get moving. ;) Thanks for sticking with me! And if you're wondering about the game described in this chapter, keep the title in mind. :) You can find more information about the game here if you're interested: wizards dot com slash magic  
><strong>

**Thank you so much for reading! A review would be much appreciated if you have the time. :)**

**Story Rec: Unplanned Perfection by littlecat358 - Bella and Alice were best friends, which made Bella the only girl off limits to Alice's brother Edward. When a party the summer after graduation gets out of control, Bella's world is turned upside down. "He doesn't know. I don't want him to." LANG/LEMONS - Complete - Another of my all time faves. Most of you have probably already read this, but if you haven't...what are you waiting for? :D**


	3. The Green-eyed Monster

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. It's her world; I'm just visiting.**

**Massive thanks to Nuttyginger, Jess, and rosellebec for their pre-reading and beta work on this!**

**A/N: Mostly from here on, I'll refer to the game (Magic: The Gathering Online) as "Magic" - hence the title. :D Time to meet our Edward. ;)  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 3<span>**

Weeks pass, and thankfully, Alice actually keeps her word not to meddle when it comes to Demetri. It helps that she's not dating Felix anymore. I didn't really see that working out anyway. He's not the kind of guy she normally goes for.

Alice hasn't tried to get me to go out to a club again since my birthday either. She knows I'll say no.

I guess I'm back to having James as my only romantic prospect.

_Shudder_

I've been playing more and more Magic lately. I tend to get addicted to games easily and spend a fair amount of time playing them, especially on the weekends. Alice keeps trying to get me to go shopping instead, but I'd rather get my toenails ripped off with pliers than spend an entire day at the mall like she does.

One chilly evening in mid-November, I'm busy playing Magic, having a blast with some of the friends I've made on there.

One friend of mine wants to play a two-headed giant game, which is basically a team game where it's two against two. I've played them once or twice before, but they generally take a long time to complete, so I only play them on the weekends.

Since it's Saturday, I join right in.

We're playing against a couple of his friends that I haven't met before. The one whose screen name is **GreenEyedMonster** is talking a lot of smack, and I find myself laughing more than I have in a long time.

I totally get his sense of humor, because it's a lot like mine – a little goofy, a little dirty, and a lot sarcastic. He's even being somewhat mean at times, but I know it's all in good fun because of his emoticons and such.

I join in, throwing jabs right back at him here and there, and after a while, we're the only two of the four of us still chatting.

Once our game is finished, I realize we've been playing for almost three hours, but I'm not ready to log off yet. I want to keep talking to him.

I muster some courage and open up a private message window. I really never do this, unless it's game related, but something is just drawing me to him.

**SwanSong78: **Hey, my name is Bella, btw.

I'm pretty sure that was the chat equivalent of blurting out something random, because I wanted to catch him before he logged off. But hopefully telling him my real name will lead to a real conversation.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Hello again. :) That's a pretty name.

**GreenEyedMonster: **I'm Edward. Nice to sort of meet you, lol

**SwanSong78: **Thanks, you too :)

_I guess the name thing wasn't so bad._

**SwanSong78: **I just had to tell you that you were totally cracking me up in there. I think my stomach muscles might be sore tomorrow from all the laughing.

**GreenEyedMonster: **You should work out more :P

**SwanSong78: **Ass ;)

**GreenEyedMonster: **No, seriously though, I thought you were hilarious too. It's nice to find people who can take a joke. Some people you meet in these games either don't talk at all or take everything really personally. So lame.

**SwanSong78:** Tell me about it. I don't know which is worse, really.

_Wait, he thought I was funny too?_

My inner girly girl, whom I rarely let out, has to take a moment to jump up and down and clap.

**GreenEyedMonster: **So, whereabouts in this fine country of ours do you live, Bella? Assuming you live in the U.S. that is.

**SwanSong78: **Yes, I live in a town called Port Angeles, in Washington State. You?

**GreenEyedMonster: **Oh cool, I've never been to the west coast. I live in the Chicago area.

**SwanSong78: **Ah, the Windy City.

I shake my head and roll my eyes at myself.

_Jeez Swan, you are bad at this._

**GreenEyedMonster: **lol, well yes and no, I don't live right in the city. I'm in Evanston, just north of it.

**SwanSong78: **Ah, I see.

_Now what?_

A few minutes pass, and I swear I hear crickets from the awkward silence between us. Maybe this pull I feel toward him is one-sided.

**GreenEyedMonster: **So, are you really a girl?

_Woah, wasn't expecting _that_. _

**SwanSong78: **Yes…why?

**GreenEyedMonster: **Well, I just never would've expected girls to play a game like this, honestly.

_Oh._

So, that whole time during the game, he thought I was a guy? I'm not sure what to think about that. I know I didn't exactly flirt with him, but our banter was very comfortable.

**SwanSong78: **I guess I'm not your typical kind of girl. *shrug*

He probably prefers girls who don't spend countless hours playing an online game on a Saturday night. Girls more like Alice.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Trust me, that's a good thing :)

_Or not._

**SwanSong78: **Really?

**GreenEyedMonster: **Really ;)

My whole body relaxes a bit, and I feel warmth take root in my chest. I also seem to be rubbing my thighs together a bit.

_Seriously?_

How can a winky face turn me on? I don't even know what this guy looks like. He could _actually be_ the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

_Nah, probably not._

**GreenEyedMonster: **Hey, sorry if that came across as creepy or whatever. I just kind of wanted to make sure you weren't some weird dude pretending to be a girl. Which obviously you still could be, but…I'm rambling. Sorry.

_Aw, so cute._

**SwanSong78: **No, no, don't worry. It's cool. I think I'd be curious about that too, since the guy to girl ratio in these types of games is pretty uneven.

After chatting for a few more minutes, we say goodnight.

I already feel like I can't wait to talk to him again. It's strange, because I've chatted with guys in some of the other online games I've played, like Ultima Online. I've also flirted a bit, but there's just something about Edward. I really can't even explain it.

I sleep in the next morning, after staying up so late playing and chatting. When I wake up mid-morning, my mind immediately goes to Edward, and a huge smile blooms on my face. He's just so funny and endearing, but I know I can't get ahead of myself. We live on opposite sides of the country, for crying out loud. It's pretty unlikely that we'll ever even meet.

With that thought, my smile fades, and I get out of bed to face the day.

After hanging out with Alice for a while and hitting the grocery store, I sit down at my computer to check my email. Nothing in my inbox holds my attention for long, and it's only a couple of minutes before I'm opening up Magic.

The wave of disappointment that hits me when I see he's not online is a little surprising. I mean, I just talked to him for the first time last night.

Whatever this is, I need to rein it in…like now.

After getting my ass handed to me in a couple of one-on-one games, I'm just about to log off when a private message pops up on my screen. The name on it makes my stomach swoop with nerves and anticipation.

_Get a grip, Swan._

**GreenEyedMonster: **Hey, how's it going?

**SwanSong78: **Good, how are you today?

**GreenEyedMonster: **I'm doing great! I met this really cool girl last night. :)

My heart sinks.

_He moves fast, _I think bitterly.

What am I doing? He doesn't owe me anything. We barely know each other. Which begs the question: why is he telling me this? Maybe he thinks we're buddies now, and I'm supposed to congratulate him.

**SwanSong78: **Oh, that's awesome! Did you go out to a club or something?

It's a good thing there's a computer screen and thousands of miles between us, so he can't see the fact that I don't find this news awesome at all is written all over my face.

**GreenEyedMonster: **No, goof. I was talking about you :P

Oh…_Oh!_

**SwanSong78: **Oh sorry, lol. I guess it would have been pretty late to be going out after we got offline last night. I just assumed you meant 'met' in the traditional sense.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Well I kind of wish it was like that.

_Did he just…? _

Hmmm, maybe this isn't so one-sided after all.

**SwanSong78: **Yeah, me too :)

**GreenEyedMonster: **So, don't get mad, but I was wondering how old you are.

My eyebrows furrow in confusion.

**SwanSong78: **Why would I get mad?

**GreenEyedMonster: **Well you know… 'never ask a woman her age' and all that jazz.

**SwanSong78: **Ah, gotcha. I just turned 24 a couple months ago.

**SwanSong78: - **not mad :D

**GreenEyedMonster: **lol, good :)

**SwanSong78: **So, how about you? 70? 75?

_Please don't say 17…or 47 for that matter._

**GreenEyedMonster: **Ha ha, very funny. I'll actually be 25 in January.

_Whew._

**SwanSong78: **Geezer :P

**GreenEyedMonster: **Hey now, watch it. ;)

I can't believe we're so close in age. The odds of that happening seem pretty low.

_Don't get ahead of yourself, Bella. _

**GreenEyedMonster: **So, do you wanna play with me?

I almost spit out the Pepsi I just took a drink of; then realize he means a game of Magic.

_Duh, Bella._

**SwanSong78: **Sure, did you want to do a two-headed giant game, or go one-on-one?

_Why am I blushing right now?_

**GreenEyedMonster: **Hmmm, one-on-one sounds good. ;)

_Holy shit. Wet panties._

**SwanSong78: **Ok, let's do it :)

**GreenEyedMonster: **;)

"Enough with the winky faces dude, jeez," I mutter out loud to myself. I'm seriously going to have to change my underwear soon if he keeps that up.

I don't know what it is that's getting me all hot and bothered. Probably the picture I'm painting of him in my head – tall and broad-shouldered, with sparkling eyes, winking at me. Maybe he's winking at me right after he's kissed me…or right after we've taken a shower together...

_Gah, stop it!_

I'll be the first to admit that I'm one horny girl. I doubt anyone would ever guess that about me, with my overall somewhat shy, laid back demeanor. But trust me. The inside of my head almost qualifies as 12 year-old boy territory most of the time. It can be hard to deal with.

_Hard…_

See what I mean?

**GreenEyedMonster: **So, did you enjoy that ass kicking I just gave you?

**SwanSong78: **Dick.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Aw, don't be mad. I'm just teasing you.

**SwanSong78: **Yeah, yeah, whatever.

I snicker to myself because he's so fun to mess with.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Bella, seriously. Are you mad at me?

_Better let him off the hook._

**SwanSong78: **Nah, I'm just giving you shit ;)

**GreenEyedMonster: **Oh good. I thought I was gonna have to do some groveling there for a minute.

**SwanSong78: **Well, you know, groveling never hurts…

**GreenEyedMonster: **But what if I'm not sorry?

Although I don't know what he looks like, I can almost picture him sitting at his computer with a cheeky grin on his face, eyes shining playfully.

**SwanSong78: **Haha, fair enough.

**GreenEyedMonster: **You really are a cool chick, you know that?

_Cue goofy grin._

**SwanSong78: **You're not so bad yourself. :)

**GreenEyedMonster:** :)

**SwanSong78: **So, I have to ask…

**SwanSong78: **What's with your screen name? Are you the jealous type or something?

**GreenEyedMonster: **Oh, lol. Man, I was nervous there for a second.

**SwanSong78:** Why? What did you think I was going to ask?

**GreenEyedMonster: **Nothing, it doesn't matter.

_Uh-huh._

**SwanSong78: **Oh come on. You have to tell me now.

**GreenEyedMonster: **To answer your question, no, I'm not the jealous type. At least not usually, but I guess it would depend on the situation. I actually have green eyes, hence the name. I couldn't think of anything else.

_Green eyes. Nice. _

**GreenEyedMonster: **Plus, I like The Hulk.

**SwanSong78: ***cough* Nerd *cough*

**GreenEyedMonster: **Shut it. :P

_Sneaky, distracting bastard._

**SwanSong78:** Nice try, btw. Now, are you gonna tell me what you thought I was going to ask you?

**GreenEyedMonster: **Um…

**SwanSong78: **Dude, seriously, it can't be that bad.

_What is he trying to hide from me?_

This makes me a little apprehensive. I don't want to get blind-sided like I did with Mike. I'm still pretty clueless when it comes to love and relationships. I wouldn't even classify my relationship with Mike as serious, if I'm being honest with myself. Sure, we said the "L" word to each other a few times, but there's no way either of us was really in love. Hopefully, when the real thing does present itself to me, I'll be able to decipher it from all the other bullshit.

**GreenEyedMonster: **I figured you were going to ask if I was a psycho killer who trolls the internet for his victims…or something along those lines.

_Yikes._

That's…disturbing.

And very specific.

**SwanSong78: **Well…are you?

**GreenEyedMonster: **No, of course not! I was just afraid you'd freak yourself out thinking about that, and I wouldn't be able to convince you otherwise. And then you'd stop talking to me, and I don't want that to happen, because I really enjoy talking to you.

**SwanSong78: **You're rambling. :)

**GreenEyedMonster: **So you're not freaked out?

_Does he want an honest answer to that?_

**SwanSong78: **Maybe a little.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Shit, I'm sorry. I knew I would fuck this up sooner or later.

**SwanSong78: **Hey, don't beat yourself up. You're just a weird guy. :) Lucky for you, I'm a weird girl.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Maybe we can be weird together?

**SwanSong78: **Maybe. :)

**GreenEyedMonster: **:)

He is so freaking cute with his rambling. If he rambles this bad in chat, I can only imagine how he'll be if we were ever to actually speak to each other. I doubt that will happen though.

Why does that thought make me so sad?

If things keep going the way they are now, I know I'll want more. I'm too afraid to ask for it right now though. I think I used up all my bravery when I initiated the chat with him last night.

**GreenEyedMonster: **So, I know where you live and how old you are…

**SwanSong78: **Yes, creepy psycho killer? And?

**GreenEyedMonster: **Shit. I was just going to ask you to tell me more about yourself…if you even want to at this point.

_Of course I want to…silly man._

**SwanSong78: **Well, what do you want to know?

**GreenEyedMonster: **I'd like to have a visual of you, if you don't mind. Can you give me an idea of what you look like?

_Seriously? _

I've seen the standard age/sex/location cattle call in chat rooms, but I don't know how to describe myself beyond that without sounding incredibly plain and unattractive.

**SwanSong78: **Are you profiling me for your murder list?

_I love fucking with him._

I don't really think he's a psycho killer, but he's so self-conscious about that now, I can't help but have a little fun with it.

**GreenEyedMonster: **…

**SwanSong78: **Alright, alright, I'll stop messing with you…for now :)

**GreenEyedMonster: **Thank you.

**SwanSong78: **Let's see, I'm about 5'9" with brown hair and brown eyes. I'd say I'm a little curvy I guess. Anything else?

**GreenEyedMonster: **No, that's perfect. :)

_It is?_

_Ooookay._

**SwanSong78: **Well, what about you?

**GreenEyedMonster: **I'm 6'3" - also with brown hair, and of course you know about the green eyes. I'm not built like a brick shithouse like my best friend, Emmett, but I'm not a string bean either, like my brother, Jasper. ;)

_Nice, my imagination was right about the tall part._

I love me a tall man since I'm pretty tall myself.

I also like that he's sharing more details about himself. The more I learn about him, the more I want to know.

**SwanSong78: **Jasper's an interesting name. Any sisters?

**GreenEyedMonster: **Yep, two sisters. We're all two to three years apart, so we've remained close growing up. Well, except maybe Rosalie. She can be a real piece of work. I'm the oldest, then Jasper, who's in college in Texas, and my youngest sister, Kate, is still in high school back in our hometown.

**SwanSong78: **Oh, your family doesn't live in Evanston?

**GreenEyedMonster: **No, Rose and I have been trying to get our parents to move closer to us. She's in college in Chicago. But they just love Georgetown so much. They both grew up there, and we have a lot of extended family there too. I get why they don't want to move, and it's not a terribly long drive to see them. But I miss them a lot.

_Awww._

**SwanSong78: **That's really great that you had so much family around growing up. I sort of missed out on that. Almost all of my extended family lives up here, but I only just moved here a couple years ago. I lived in Jacksonville, FL most of my life.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Does your immediate family still live down there?

_Seems like he's just as interested in learning things about me as I am about him._

**SwanSong78: **Some of them, yes, but my family tree is sort of gnarled into an unrecognizable mess.

**GreenEyedMonster: **What do you mean?

**SwanSong78: **Well, it gets a little complicated. So, here goes…

I proceed to explain to him my Jerry Springer-worthy family tree, which includes step-siblings, ex-step-siblings, half-siblings, and an adopted sister who's actually my step-niece.

Yeah…I might be a redneck.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Holy shit, you weren't kidding! How long have your parents been divorced?

**SwanSong78: **Since I was three. I can't even remember them being together as a couple actually. It's kind of sad.

**GreenEyedMonster: **I'm sorry.

**SwanSong78: **No, don't be. Whenever I do see them interact, I don't even see how they got together in the first place. They don't seem like each other's types at all, so…yeah.

_Yay, way to put a damper on the conversation, Bella._

**GreenEyedMonster: **So you spent a lot of time being shuttled between houses as a kid, huh?

**SwanSong78: **Somewhat. I'm my dad's only biological child, and I went to live with him after the divorce. My mom's a whole other can of worms I'd rather not open at the moment.

_My mom is…well, not maternal. Let's put it that way._

**GreenEyedMonster: **It's all good. :) If you do want to talk about it though, I'm here to listen…err read ;)

**SwanSong78: **lol, thanks :) I appreciate it.

This is so surreal. I'm just spilling my guts to a virtual stranger, but it doesn't feel weird at all. Edward is kind and doesn't pry, which I appreciate. I can already tell he's going to be a great friend.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Ready for me to kick your ass some more?

**SwanSong78: **Bring it, mister.

The challenge box pops up for another one-on-one game, and thankfully, our conversation goes back to lighter topics as we play. We mostly just talk shit back and forth, which is a blast.

All too soon, it's time for me to get to bed. I have work tomorrow, unfortunately.

It pays the bills though - barely.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Oh man, I didn't realize how late it was.

**SwanSong78: **Yeah, I was just about to say, I need to get to bed soon.

A couple of minutes go by, and he doesn't respond.

I check my buddy list, and he's still online, so I'm not sure what's going on. Maybe he went to the bathroom or something, but he usually gives me the old "brb."

_Hmmm_

Then:

**GreenEyedMonster: **So, I know this might be a little fast or whatever, but I was just wondering if maybe you'd consider talking to me sometime.

_Um…_

**SwanSong78:** I'm confused. Isn't that what we're doing?

**GreenEyedMonster: **Sorry, I guess I should have been more specific. I meant on the phone.

_Oh wow. Holy crap._

Nervousness and excitement wage a war against each other in my body, and I'm wondering if I'm brave enough to do it. I was just thinking about this earlier, but I never expected him to ask me so soon, or even at all.

The excitement slightly edges out the nervousness, and I realize I really want to hear his voice.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Look, I'm sorry. I know we haven't been talking on here for very long. Just a couple of days, really, but for some reason, it feels like it's been longer. And I mean that in a good way. :) I just feel like I want to get to know you better, and I think it would be a bit easier to do that if we can really talk.

I must have taken too long to respond, because he's rambling again. Granted, it's sweet rambling, but I probably made him nervous about his request.

**SwanSong78: **I think that would be really nice. :)

**GreenEyedMonster: **Really?

**SwanSong78: **Yes, really.

**GreenEyedMonster: **So, when do you think you want to do it?

_Do it… _

_Focus, Bella! Edward – phone._

**SwanSong78: **Well, I'm sure sometime this week would work. Maybe Friday night?

**GreenEyedMonster: **Oh, you want to wait that long?

_Yes, and no._

I'm scared as hell, but I still want to give it a shot. I just want to give myself a little more time to figure out what's going on here. I absolutely love talking to him, but I'm afraid he won't think I'm as cool once we start actually speaking to one another. You can't exactly delete what you start to say because it sounds stupid when you're on the phone.

**SwanSong78: **Well, I just figured if our conversations on here were any indication, we could end up talking for a while. Plus, with the time difference, it might be good to do it on the weekend. At least the first time. :)

**GreenEyedMonster: **Ok, that makes sense, but you should probably wait until Friday to give me your phone number. Otherwise, I might be too tempted to call you before then.

_I might have just melted a little bit._

I love his honesty. I truly don't think he's just telling me things I want to hear. He doesn't strike me as some smarmy guy who's only after the honeypot..._ahem, Mike. _

He comes across as very genuine, which is refreshing.

**SwanSong78: **Ok, sounds like a plan. :)

**GreenEyedMonster: **Alright, well, get some rest. I'm sure I'll see you tomorrow night if you're online.

**SwanSong78: **Thanks, you too. I should be around tomorrow night.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Good :)

**SwanSong78: **Goodnight :)

**GreenEyedMonster: **Goodnight Bella

_Wow…just wow. _

What the hell is going on here? I feel all giddy, and I have this huge goofy grin on my face.

_Ridiculous._

I still don't even know exactly what he looks like. Not that it matters too much, but ultimately, if we're not attracted to each other, then this won't work.

What am I even saying? It's not like we're in a relationship.

With a groan, I get up to get ready for bed as I try to get a grip on all these feelings coursing through me. It's very bizarre to be so drawn to someone you haven't even met in person - or seen a picture of, for that matter.

Hmmm, maybe I could get a picture of him before Friday.

_Shit, then he'll want one of me._

What if he thinks I'm not pretty and changes his mind?

_Double shit._

I'm not going to pretend I'm not worried about that, but I'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it. For now, I've got to get ready for another exciting week at the bank.

_Yeah, that wasn't dripping with sarcasm or anything._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well there you have it. They've "met" and gotten to know each other a little. :D**

**Just in case anyone isn't totally up on chat lingo:**

**lol = laugh out loud**

**btw = by the way**

**brb = be right back**

**Story Rec: There Is A Light by belladonnacullen - This was 1987; before the Internet, before Twitter, before Facebook – this was back when it was still possible for people not to know about things: big things - like bands, and little things - like G-spots. AH, ExB, with some other parings along the way. - Complete - This story is so beautifully written. Definitely angsty, but so so good.**

**Thanks so much for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	4. Eager Beaver

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! They really do keep an author going! :)**

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. It's her world; I'm just visiting. No copyright infringement intended. Original content/plot is the property of the author. Plagiarism maims.**

**Massive thanks to Nuttyginger and rosellebec for their pre-reading and beta work on this! I heart you ladies!**

**This goes for all previous and future chapters: Any mistakes are all mine as I tend to tinker right up until I post.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

_**November 18, 2002**_

**BPOV**

Monday is busy as usual at the bank.

Mr. Berty is back to annoying the bejeezus out of me, but that's nothing new. I mean, he's nice and all, but I wish he would realize that he'd spend far less time here if he would just sort his stupid cash beforehand. He must enjoy standing there watching me work for some reason I can't fathom.

While I'm bent over getting his coin order together, I realize I'm in far too good of a mood today for it to bother me too much.

One of my fellow tellers, Carmen, is noticing my somewhat unusual, buoyant mood. During a lull between customers, she asks what's got me "smiling like the Cheshire cat."

Carmen is in her early 70s and still working, which is awesome. Plus, she's a total spitfire, but her old school expressions crack me up sometimes.

"I'm not 'smiling like the Cheshire cat,'" I say, using air quotes and rolling my eyes playfully. "Am I?"

"Yes dear, you are. Did you have a hot date over the weekend?" she asks with a mischievous grin.

_Hot date. Yeah, right._

Hmm, how can I even explain this to a normal person?

Normal people being those who probably don't spend hours online every day like I do.

"No, Carmen. No date," I reply with a smile.

"Well then what happened to make you so happy? Not to say you don't smile, dear, but today seems different. It makes me think back to when my Eleazar first started courting me," she says with a wistful smile.

Wow, am I really that giddy?

_Yes._

"Well, I sort of met a guy," I hedge as I busy myself straightening up my station.

"What do you mean, sort of?" Carmen asks warily.

"Well…um…Imethimonline," I rush out, not wanting to be judged.

"You did what, dear?"

I don't know anyone who's met someone online like this, except for my dad, so I feel a bit uncomfortable trying to explain it.

"I met him online over the weekend. We've only chatted a bit, but he seems really sweet." I can't suppress yet another smile.

"Oh, you kids and your internets. I can barely use a damn computer. I don't really get how this wide world of web works." She waves her hand around like there's an actual web in front of her.

I stifle a giggle.

"Well, I know it's not the most common thing in the world, but people do meet online and sometimes date and eventually get married," I comment with a shrug.

"Married?" she asks like the concept is beyond her.

"Well, yeah. My dad and step-mom actually met online, and they're really happy together."

Why am I talking about marriage? I'm getting way ahead of myself...again.

"Anyway, I'm just saying...it's not _that_ weird. Right?"

"Hell if I know," she responds with a shrug.

This time I can't suppress the giggle that bursts out.

"Just be careful, sweetheart. The heart is a delicate thing," she says with a smile and a soft pat to my cheek.

"Thanks, Carmen." I smile back at her, because I just adore her. "I will."

~XXXXX~

The week seems to drag and fly by at the same time. The closer Friday gets, the more anxious I become just thinking about talking to Edward on the phone. He and I still chat online every night and continue getting to know each other a bit, which definitely helps, but the nerves are still there.

I haven't said anything to Alice yet, because I'm really not sure how she'll react. She only uses her computer to check her email. Otherwise, it just sits on her desk collecting dust.

_Such a waste._

I know she wants me to put myself out there and meet someone, but I doubt this is what she had in mind.

As we sit down for dinner together in our little dining nook on Thursday night, I try to find the courage to tell her what's going on. She's noticed I'm a little more chipper lately too, but we haven't really had a chance to talk much this week.

"So, you know how you mentioned that I've been in a really good mood this week?" I start.

"Yeah, are you ready to tell me what's going on now? It's not that you're usually sullen or anything, but you just seem really happy lately. Which is awesome, because I know you've been a little down for a while," she says supportively.

We talked a few weeks ago about how tired I am of being single. I know there might have been potential with Demetri, but it just didn't feel right to me. As slutty as it may sound, I really just needed to get laid, and he was there. But that's pretty much all it was.

"Well, I sort of met someone."

_Wait for it…_

The squeal she emits is painfully high-pitched.

"Okay, before you get too excited, let me explain."

"Okay…" she rolls her hand in the air to indicate her impatience for my explanation.

"Well, I actually met him online last weekend while playing one of my games, and he's really great, and I'm not sure what to do because he lives in Chicago, but I really like him," I rush out and squeeze my eyes shut while I wait for her response.

"That's…uh" I peek at her and see her eyebrows furrow together "…hmmm."

"That's it? That's all you have to say? I need help here, Alice! I like this guy way more than I should already, and it's freaking me out. But I'm just so drawn to him, it's insane," I blather on because I'm not used to her being so quiet.

"Are you sure he's even who he says he is?"

I bristle a bit. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I don't know. I just think you should be careful, that's all." She looks down and pushes food around her plate.

"Hey, what's going on?" I ask softly, placing my hand on her arm to still her wayward fork.

"The whole online thing just makes me nervous. It doesn't always turn out the way you might think it will."

I'm shocked. She sounds like she's speaking from experience, but she would have told me, I'm sure. We're so close, we might as well be sisters.

She notices the expression on my face and continues.

"Look, this is kind of a secret, so you can't repeat what I'm about to tell you, okay?"

"Alright," I respond, sitting back and wondering just how bad this is going to be.

"Well, Alec met a girl online last year," she begins slowly.

My other cousin, Alec - Alice's older brother - recently moved back home to Forks to live with their parents after dropping out of graduate school on the east coast. They used to be pretty close growing up, but not so much anymore. I know their distance really bothers her sometimes.

"Really? Wow, I had no idea. I'm guessing things didn't turn out so well," I say with a gulp.

"Not so much, no." I'm not used to seeing so much sadness etched onto her face.

After a deep breath, she begins again.

"He was so happy at first. Giddy really, which I thought was great, of course. I was a little wary of the situation because of how they met, but I didn't discourage him, because he was just_ so_ incredibly happy at the time."

She's driving the point home that he started out happy, and I'm getting the message. The look on her face says she wishes she had talked to him more about it, and maybe she could have helped him.

My nerves ratchet up a notch in anticipation of what she's going to tell me.

"They'd been talking for several weeks but hadn't met in person yet as far as I knew. Then, out of the blue one day, he said he was driving down to New Mexico to meet her, and if all went well, he would just stay there and live with her."

"What?!" I exclaim a little too loudly. "Seriously? That seems a little extreme if they hadn't even met before."

Alice nods. "Yeah, that's what I thought too. He was just so adamant that he was in love with her and that she was his soul mate, so again, I didn't try to interfere."

She takes another deep breath, and I hold mine for a moment, trying to figure out where this is going.

"So, they'd decided to meet at a diner, and as he pulled into a parking spot, a woman stepped out of the car next to his. She was looking right at him as she walked around her car, but he didn't recognize her at all."

My confusion must be written all over my face.

"They had exchanged several pictures beforehand," she clarifies before moving on. "So, this woman said his name and he asked who she was. When she said that she was the person he'd been talking to, he was obviously quite confused, because she looked nothing like the beautiful blond girl who was in all the photos."

She pauses for a moment.

"This woman was blond also, but she was at least twice as old as his girl said she was."

"Oh, no," I say from behind the hand that flew to my mouth in shock.

"Yeah. So he started to get pretty nervous, because he had no idea what was happening. I mean, he thought he was in love with this person, and suddenly he realized she'd been lying to him all that time about who she was."

"So did he let her explain or anything?" I ask, not sure if I think he should have or not.

"Well yeah, after the initial shock wore off, he asked her what the hell was going on. Turns out, the pictures she was sending were of her twenty year-old daughter."

"Oh, God."

Alice grimaces.

"Yeah. He asked her why she would do that to him. Her response was that she was hoping once he got there, since they loved each other so much, that he could look past her age…and the fact that she was married."

"What the fuck? Married?"

"I'm pretty sure that's exactly what he said to her." A grim smile crosses her face.

"Holy shit."

"Oh, I'm not done yet," she says with a humorless chuckle.

_How can this get any worse?_

"Basically it came down to her wanting him to move down there and essentially be a 'boy toy' for her and her husband."

_Oh. That's how. _

_Jesus._

She shakes her head. "I don't think her daughter was even aware that she had used her pictures to entice him. Although, I don't know for sure," she finishes sadly.

"God, Alice. That's just so messed up."

"Tell me about it." She sighs. "He still isn't quite over the whole ordeal. He's definitely not as trusting as he used to be."

"I know the feeling," I say, reminded of my own trust issues. "He seemed okay when I saw him last week at your parents' house though."

"Yeah, he's doing okay in general. He's not one to mope, and it has been a while since it happened. Hopefully, now that he's moved back home, he'll meet a nice girl he can settle down with and be truly happy."

That's all Alice wants for the people she loves – for them to be happy.

"Well I can understand why you're worried for me, but I promise I'll be careful," I say, trying to reassure her.

"Please do, Bella. I would just hate to see you hurt by something like that." Her tone is pleading.

"I understand." I pat her hand and sit back in my chair to try to digest my food, along with everything she's just told me.

Maybe I need a little space to think about this, because the longer whatever this thing is between Edward and me goes on, the more invested my heart's going to become. I can already tell that much.

Thursday is _Friends_ night, which means Alice and I will be parked on the couch after dinner watching our favorite TV show.

This will give me the perfect opportunity to relax and ponder my situation with Edward.

The Friday phone call is looming closely, and I need to make sure I'm as ready as I can be for it.

~XXXXX~

_Friends_ is fucking hilarious as usual. Alice and I forget about everything else and just crack up for the next half hour.

After the show ends, Alice flits off to work on cleaning the kitchen. She doesn't ask for help, because we generally take turns. So I just sit on the couch and think about everything that's happened lately – Alice's warning and my conversations with Edward at the forefront.

I need to think about this rationally.

First of all, Edward and I are not in a relationship at this point, so there's no use worrying about the whole getting hurt thing right now. Although, if I'm honest with myself, I already know I'll be hurt if I find out he's being dishonest with me about who he is.

Second, I can't punish him for something that some other person did to my cousin. I need to make my own judgments and continue to see where this goes, all while being as cautious as I can be. I mean, a guy I meet at a bar can lie to me just as easily as someone I meet online. Maybe not about appearance or age so much, but other than that, anything is possible.

And third…_ah, fuck it._ I'm going to go see if he's online.

I stop in the kitchen to let Alice know I'm heading to my room.

"You think you'll talk to him tonight?" she asks quietly without looking at me as she scrubs a pan.

"I don't know. I hope so." I'm just as quiet, tentative. I haven't told her about the impending phone call yet. Right now, I'm not so sure she'll be all that supportive.

"Bella, I'm sorry if I scared you earlier. I realize that not everyone is dishonest. I just want you to be careful," she rushes out, still not looking at me.

"I know, honey. Don't worry. I'm going to do my best to keep a level head and watch for anything suspicious, but I also don't want to start out already doubting him. He doesn't deserve that."

"Wow, you're talking like you guys are in a relationship already."

"We're not, but he does want to talk to me on the phone tomorrow night. It'll be the first time," I admit softly.

"Oh."

"I know it's kind of fast, but it feels right, and I really want to hear his voice." I feel like I'm begging her to understand, even though I know it's my life, and I can do as I please. I just don't want to have to tiptoe around this with her.

When she doesn't respond, I continue carefully.

"Alice, do you know if Alec met that woman in a chat room?"

She finally turns away from the dishes with a quizzical look on her face. "I think so. Why?"

"Well, nothing against your brother, but I think my situation is a little different."

She doesn't say anything, which I'm not sure is good or bad, so I continue.

"I met Edward just randomly while we were playing a game online. It's not like either one of us was necessarily on the hunt. He wasn't even sure I was really a girl at first," I say with a small smile.

"Well you _do_ hate shopping," she replies with a small smile of her own.

"Hardy har har, Alice." I roll my eyes and stick my tongue out at her.

"So…Edward, huh?"

"Yeah," I respond with a dreamy smile.

"Well, I do see your point. I truly hope he's a great guy and that you don't get hurt. I hated seeing what that asshole, Mike, did to you."

I pull her into a hug, relieved that the tension has broken.

"I know. He sucks." We both chuckle, and I release her. "Thanks for looking out for me, cuz," I say with a grin. "Although, isn't it supposed to be the other way around since I'm older?"

"Nah, I'm wise beyond my years," she replies haughtily.

I laugh. "Too true, Alice. Too true."

I help her finish wiping down the countertops and tell her goodnight before going to my room.

When I log onto Magic and see that Edward's online, I do a little happy dance in my chair.

Don't judge me.

**SwanSong78: **Hey, you in a game?

**GreenEyedMonster: **Oh hey. No, I was just about to log off.

_Sadface_

**SwanSong78: **Oh. Ok, well I guess I'll catch you tomorrow.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Wait, I'm not going anywhere now that you're here. Duh

I put my hand to my chest involuntarily, because he's just so damn sweet.

_Play it cool, Swan._

**SwanSong78: **Cool, so how was your day?

**GreenEyedMonster: **It was alright. Work was tough, but that's nothing new.

He told me a couple days ago that he works in a distribution warehouse, and he absolutely hates it. Like me, he didn't finish college and is sorely regretting it.

**SwanSong78: **Yeah, I hear ya. I had kind of a stressful day at work too, but I'm feeling better now. :)

**GreenEyedMonster: **Oh is that so? And why, may I ask, is that? ;)

_Oy, the winky faces already._

Bad news for my underwear.

**SwanSong78: **Well, apart from getting to talk to one of my favorite people in the world…

**GreenEyedMonster: **You better mean me :P

**SwanSong78: **Actually no, I mean my cousin.

**GreenEyedMonster: **You wound me…

**SwanSong78:** Kidding :) I did have an interesting conversation with her tonight though, but I think everything's ok now.

_At least, I hope it is._

Sometimes Alice holds things inside and lets them fester, but I really do feel like our talk led to an understanding between the two of us.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Is that why you're just now getting online?

**SwanSong78: **Well that, and it's Thursday night.

**GreenEyedMonster:** And?

**SwanSong78: **Friends

**GreenEyedMonster: **Yeah… we're friends. At least I feel like we are.

_So cute._

**SwanSong78: **No, lol. I mean Alice and I watch Friends together every Thursday night. I couldn't miss it tonight because the Thanksgiving episodes are always the best. :D

**GreenEyedMonster: **Oh, the TV show, got it. I was a little confused there for a minute.

**SwanSong78: **I noticed :P

**GreenEyedMonster: **Shut it. I can't read your mind, woman.

**SwanSong78: **Oh, if only you could…

We've been getting a little more flirty lately, but nothing too blatant yet. Well, no cyber-sex at least. Not that I'm opposed to that, necessarily. I've just never tried it.

It could actually be kind of hot.

With Edward.

Naked.

Touching himself.

_Woah, girl…rein it in._

**GreenEyedMonster: **Hmmm, what would I discover lurking around in that brain of yours?

_If he only knew…_

**SwanSong78: **I guess we'll just have to talk tomorrow night so you can find out.

**GreenEyedMonster: **I bet it's dirty…your mind, that is.

_Shit, he's onto me._

**SwanSong78: **What makes you say that?

**GreenEyedMonster:** I just have a feeling about you…

**SwanSong78: **A dirty feeling? ;)

**GreenEyedMonster: **Ok, I think we need to change the subject before I have to go take a cold shower.

_Oh, my. Maybe the winky faces work on him too._

**SwanSong78: **Well, we wouldn't want that. I hear cold water causes shrinkage.

I slap my hand to my forehead.

_Word vomit, much? _

He's going to think I'm a moron.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Yeah well, that's kind of what I'm looking for in my current situation.

_His current situ…wha?_

My mouth goes dry, and I clench my thighs together with that thought.

**GreenEyedMonster: **I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that.

**SwanSong78: **No, it's ok. Really.

I'm still trying to recover from the heat that shot straight through my body like a lightning bolt from his admission.

**GreenEyedMonster: **So…

**SwanSong78: **So…

_Awkward._

**SwanSong78: **So, I was wondering if maybe we should exchange pictures sometime soon.

His response is immediate.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Yeah, that's a great idea.

_Someone's an eager beaver._

Oh, that's me.

**SwanSong78: **Ok, well I haven't really done that before, so I'll have to have my cousin take one of me and get it loaded onto my computer. It might be a couple of days, if that's cool.

**GreenEyedMonster: **That's no problem. Your computer didn't come with a webcam?

**SwanSong78: **No, did yours?

**GreenEyedMonster: **Yeah

You mean I could be looking at him right now?

_WHAT is the mother-effing hold up?_

**GreenEyedMonster: **I can snap a picture with it now and send it to you, if you want.

_I want._

**SwanSong78: **Ok, that's fine.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Don't sound too excited there :P

**SwanSong78: **Oh my dear Edward, please allow me the honor of gazing upon the beauty that is your face before I just can't take it anymore.

I imagine myself clasping my hands together and batting my eyelashes, all while wearing some sort of Renaissance style dress.

The mental image makes me snort.

**SwanSong78: **Better?

**GreenEyedMonster: **Ok smart ass, give me a second.

I can't believe I'm about to actually see what he looks like.

_Holy crap on a spatula!_

**GreenEyedMonster: **Ok, I emailed it to you, so you should have it in a couple minutes.

_Clap and squeal_

Only a little. I'm no Alice.

**SwanSong78: **Ok, thanks :)

**GreenEyedMonster: **Well, I better head to bed. I've got an important phone call tomorrow that I need to be ready for. ;)

_Melt_

_And giggle, dammit._

**SwanSong78: **Ok, so do you want me to jump online after I'm finished with dinner and give you my number then?

**GreenEyedMonster: **Sounds great :)

**SwanSong78: **Ok, goodnight Edward. I'll talk to you tomorrow.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Looking forward to it. Goodnight Bella.

_Gah._

He kills me.

I log out of the game and immediately pull up my email, because I want to see that picture more than I've ever wanted to see anything in my entire life.

Even more than the _Friends_ episode where we found out that Ross was Rachel's baby-daddy.

So yeah...a lot.

With shaky fingers, I pull up his email and click the attachment. While the file downloads, I start biting my thumbnail in anticipation.

I hold my breath as the image appears on my screen. It's…

Not what I expected.

At all.

First off, it's a really small picture and kind of grainy, so I can't see him all that well.

I immediately decide that I hate webcams. Although the bad quality does suggest that it's really of him. Not some doctored up photo of a porn star or some shit.

_Yeah, people do that._

He's wearing glasses, so I can't make out the color of his eyes, but I assume they're green like he said.

As my eyes roam over his face, I start to notice details, like his slightly crooked nose and his very square, very lickable jaw, which is covered in a delicious layer of scruff.

_Holy crap._

His hair is dark, but again, I can't make out the exact color. He said brown, but guys don't think in shades. Brown could be anything from dark blond to almost black. I know I said brown too, but my hair actually has quite a lot of red in it, especially in the sun.

It looks like he might not have thought about turning some lights on to take the picture. I doubt the webcam has a flash.

What I _can_ tell, is that his hair is wild. I would almost describe it as bed-head.

Or sex hair.

_Oh, I like that better._

My fingers twitch a little because I can't help but want to run them through it.

Between the yummy jaw, the sex hair, and the nerdy glasses, I have to conclude that he's… pretty.

_Wow._

He looks really young too, but it could just be the picture quality. Or genetics.

I look younger than I am also, so I can't hold that against him.

_Mmmm, against him._

_Focus!_

Now I'm even more nervous to send him a picture of myself, but I'm sure he'll find it odd if I don't. I'm just going to have to buck up and do it, and let the chips fall where they may. If he's disappointed and decides not to talk to me anymore, then I guess it wasn't meant to be. No harm, no foul.

Oh, who am I kidding? I'll be crushed.

_Hmm, that's probably why they call it that._

Right now, I'd say I have a huge crush on Edward, but that's all it is. I really don't know him well enough yet for it to be anything more.

Reluctantly, I close the picture and head into my bathroom.

After brushing my teeth and throwing on a t-shirt and pajama pants, I start walking toward my bed - right past my computer.

_Okay, one more quick peek won't hurt._

Yep…I am screwed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Keep in mind, this is 2002. Internet dating wasn't nearly as commonplace as it is now. And most people met in chat rooms from what I remember. Match dot com and sites like that may have existed back then, but I had certainly never heard of them.**

**We may or may not be hearing from Rambleward next chapter... :D**

**Story Rec: The Practice of Love by belladonnacullen - When the disarmingly handsome Edward Masen turns up as a new patient, the life Dr. Isabella Swan has carefully put together will be shattered forever. What will it take to put the pieces back together again? What does it take to heal? AH/AU, canon parings - Complete**

**Thank you so much for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	5. And Friday, I'm in love

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. It's her world; I'm just visiting. No copyright infringement intended. Original content/plot is the property of the author. Plagiarism maims.**

**Massive thanks to Nuttyginger and rosellebec for their pre-reading and beta work on this! I heart you ladies!**

**Any mistakes are all mine as I tend to tinker right up until I post.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

**EPOV**

Friday dawns, and I stretch out on my too-small mattress, in my tiny one bedroom apartment. I squeeze my eyes shut and try to grab onto the last remnants of the dream I was having.

I remember I was walking toward the ocean, which I've never seen in person before. A beautiful brunette was standing at the water's edge, waiting for me with her arm outstretched, as if to take my hand. Her dark eyes were beckoning to me, and I felt like I would do anything I had to, walk over hot coals if need be, to get to her.

I also remember she was wearing the tiniest white bikini known to man.

_What? I'm a guy._

The dream escapes me, so I begrudgingly roll out of bed to grab a shower before work.

As I bow my head and let the water run down my body, I realize my morning wood is staring me straight in the eye.

_Hey, buddy._

I close my eyes and conjure up images of the brunette from my dreams.

_Bella._

Obviously I don't really know what she looks like yet, except that she's tall and curvy, with brown hair and brown eyes.

Perfection.

I take my dick in my right hand and give it a firm stroke while picturing the statuesque beauty. Now she's right here with me in the shower.

She's behind me, with her tits pressed against my back - all slippery from the water. Her hands slide across my skin as she reaches around my waist and starts stroking me just the way I like. Hard, but not too hard. Fast, but not too fast.

Just right.

The effect this girl has on me already, without ever having seen her, is staggering. And before long, I'm moaning her name and spurting all over my hand and the shower floor.

The images of my Bella fade as I finish washing up, and I leave the little haven that is my shower to get dressed for work.

I'm whistling as I walk into the warehouse to start my shift. One of the guys I work with, Sam, immediately tells me to cut out the "gay, Snow White bullshit."

I tell him to fuck off, as usual, and clock in for the day.

I can't help being happy today. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the norm for me since I moved here. But I've been much happier recently, all because of Bella. And today I'll get to talk to her on the phone. Hear her voice.

I bet it's beautiful.

_Damn, I _am_ getting sappy._

Oh well, I don't give a shit. I can't wait to get her on the phone tonight. She's really opened up to me over the past week, and I just hope she doesn't get all shy and clam up on me tonight. That would probably lead to me rambling, and that's never good.

Work sucks as always, but not much can get me down today.

~XXXXX~

On my way home from work, I pick up my usual beer and cigarettes.

Nasty habit, I know.

Being in a fraternity in college does have its after-effects. I've been drinking every night since I moved here, which isn't necessarily a change for me. Except now I'm drinking alone.

_Yeah, not good._

I've just sort of been floating through life since I left college - a little lost, I guess. I don't know many people here in Evanston. My two friends who convinced me to move here are a married couple, so I just feel like a third wheel when I hang out with them.

Then there's Rose. Chicago's not that far from here, but we don't always get along, and she's busy with work and classes. Needless to say, we don't hang out often.

When I get home, I know I'm going to have to wait at least a couple more hours before I can call Bella. For one thing, I'm two hours ahead of her so she's still at work. Plus, I have to wait for her to actually give me her phone number.

I'm sure it's for the best that I told her not to give it to me until tonight. I'm an impatient fucker and probably would have called her days ago.

No, not probably.

Definitely.

She's just so damn cool. She can take shit and dish it right back out, which I love. That seems to be hard to find in a girl.

Most of the chicks I met in college were so fake and giggly - a huge turn-off for me. I pretty much tried to avoid them at all costs, but living in a frat house made that difficult at times. And we weren't even your typical preppy Greeks. We were much more _Animal House_, if anything. But even so, if I'd said half the stuff I've already said to Bella, I'm sure I would have gotten a drink thrown in my face.

Come to think of it, I may have a time or two. Who knows? I was pretty fucked up most of the time.

_Probably why you didn't finish there, numbnuts._

_Shut up._

I go into my little kitchen and check the freezer.

Frozen pizza, frozen pizza, or frozen pizza?

Frozen pizza it is.

I throw it in the microwave and grab a Dr. Pepper out of the fridge. I don't drink beer with food.

_Gross._

When the pizza's done, I take it over to my coffee table and start eating it right off the box I heated it up on. No sense in dirtying the plate when I have a perfectly good surface to eat off of right here. That would just be dumb.

Nothing on TV keeps my attention long. It rarely does. So I eat quickly and throw my trash away before grabbing my beer from the fridge. It'll take the edge off my nerves and give me something to do with my hands while I wait.

I look at the clock and realize I haven't burned much time up.

_Dammit._

I take a healthy swig of my beer and then head out to my balcony for a cigarette.

While I suck on my cancer stick, I think about what Bella and I might talk about tonight. We've learned some things about each other already, and I can't wait to learn even more. I just hope there aren't any weird, awkward silences between us.

I stub out my cigarette butt in the ashtray and go back inside to figure out how to burn some more time.

_Did I mention I'm an impatient fucker?_

I pull up Asheron's Call and mess around for a little bit. This is the game that led me to playing Magic. Sort of. A friend I play with told me about it. I already knew about Magic: The Gathering, because I actually own some of the physical cards. I used to play with some buddies back in college.

The online version is much better though. It led me to Bella, and I feel like she's the only good thing that's happened in my life lately.

I probably shouldn't get ahead of myself too much, because we live so far apart. But I just dig her and really want to see where this thing goes.

After playing AC for about an hour, I log off and open up Magic. I don't want to be M.I.A. when Bella logs on. I'm a little clueless when it comes to girls, but that seems like it would send the wrong message.

She's not online yet, because it's only been a little over an hour since I got home.

I continue to nurse my beer while I play a few one-on-one games with random people. It's not as much fun when I'm not playing with Bella though. Most of these people don't even talk. They just start with a hello and good luck, and then either kick your ass or get theirs kicked.

This waiting is killing me.

I'm just about to grab my third beer when a private message pops up.

My smile could be seen from space.

**SwanSong78: **Hey :)

**GreenEyedMonster: **Hey :)

**SwanSong78: **Whatcha doin?

**GreenEyedMonster: **Oh, you know, the usual. Sitting in my mansion, counting my money, ordering my servants around. You?

I'm still smiling, because I know she's easily amused. And I love making her laugh, even if I can't hear it…yet.

**SwanSong78: **rofl, that would be nice, wouldn't it?

**GreenEyedMonster: **Yeah. I've just been sitting here playing a bit - possibly waiting impatiently for a certain brunette to give me her phone number. ;)

**SwanSong78: **Oh, well don't let me keep you. She's probably getting pretty impatient herself.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Don't tease me, woman!

**SwanSong78: **Ok, ok, jeez. So pissy :P

_She drives me crazy...in the best way._

**SwanSong78: **(360) 555-1928

I just stare at the numbers for a minute, almost not believing they're finally in front of me. Then I snap into action and start to dial.

My palms are sweating, and my fingers are a tad shaky so I have to start over a couple times. But then it's ringing.

"Hello?" the sexiest voice I've ever heard answers. It's a little husky, and she sounds a bit breathless.

"Bella?"

"Hi, Edward," she sighs.

~XXXXX~

**BPOV**

Silk, satin, velvet; the warmest, softest blanket you've ever felt. That's what his voice is like.

It wraps around me with just that one word. My name. And I breathe out some of my nervousness.

"Hi, Edward."

"Hi."

We both chuckle a bit, because we're so used to talking to one another, but now we don't know what to say.

"Did you have a good day at work?" I ask.

That seems like as good a place to start as any.

"It was fine. I was a little preoccupied all day, so I didn't notice its usual shittiness."

I can hear the smile in his voice.

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

I had a hard time focusing today at work. I messed up two change orders and then took forever to balance my drawer at the end of the day. That's not like me at all. The best thing that happened today was that I didn't have to help James. Shelley steered him to another teller, even though he wanted to wait for me.

I love her.

Edward laughs softly again, and it's one of the sexiest things I've ever heard. I hope I get to hear it over and over again.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm so nervous," he says. "This shouldn't be a big deal, but it feels like it is."

"It's okay. I'm nervous, too. This is definitely very different from chatting on the computer."

I pause a moment.

"You have a nice voice," I continue shyly.

"Thank you. So do you," he replies, wrapping me in more velvety softness.

Thank goodness he can't see me blushing.

"Thanks." I clear my throat lightly. "You have a nice face too," I blurt out.

I slap my palm to my forehead and berate myself internally for sounding so stupid.

He chuckles again.

"Well, thanks. You- well I'm sure you have a nice face too."

"Oh. Yeah, I'm working on the picture thing. I promise I'll get it to you over the weekend."

"No hurry. Although, I admit I'm curious. The picture I have in my head is still kind of vague, but it'll do for now."

"Well, it's only fair. I get to look at you whenever I want, and you still have no idea what I look like."

"I have some idea, but yeah it would be nice to have the real thing." After a brief pause, he continues playfully. "So, how often do you look at my picture?"

_Busted._

"Oh, uh…not that often. I mean, I just got it last night, so...maybe a dozen times?" I say like it's a question. "That's pathetic, right?"

He chuckles again, and I know I need to find more ways to evoke that sound from him.

"Not at all. I'm pretty sure I'd have yours as my computer background if I had it right now."

_So sweet._

"Well, you should probably wait until you see it first before you make declarations like that. You might change your mind."

I do this too much, I know. Put myself down. Doubt myself. It's just something I've always done. I know a lot of girls have kind of low self-esteem, but I got a huge helping hand with mine. And not in the good way. My first step-mom, Maria, was totally evil and told me I was fat and ugly all the time growing up, because her own daughter was a stick figure. I know now, having been away from them for several years, that those things aren't true, but that shit gets embedded into your brain so deep after a while, it's hard to get rid of.

"Hey, don't do that. You're beautiful on the inside, and that always shines through, no matter what," he says earnestly.

My eyes tear up a little. I really needed to hear that.

"Thank you, Edward."

"It's the truth." I can picture him shrugging like he has no reason not to believe that about me.

There's a pause on both ends of the phone line. It's not awkward necessarily. We're just absorbing the moment.

I take a deep breath and get control of the tears.

"So, tell me more about your family. I want to live vicariously through you and your Norman Rockwell life," I tease, trying to lighten things up a little bit.

He laughs lightly and proceeds to regale me with stories from his childhood. Growing up with three younger siblings in a small town makes for some pretty entertaining stuff.

It's clear, the way he talks, that Edward really loves his family. And that right there tells me so much about what kind of person he is.

He tells me one story about how Rosalie used to hide one of Kate's shoes every single morning when they were younger, which would make their mother yell at Kate for misplacing it. I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time, but now that they know Rose was the culprit, it's obvious she was an evil genius.

"Oh man," I laugh. "That is so mean. How did Kate react when she found out it was Rose?"

"She laughs it off now, but I'm sure it stung a bit to realize how much Rose enjoyed getting her into trouble with Mom."

"Yeah, no kidding. That would suck donkey balls," I say before my filter can catch up.

"Donkey balls, huh?" he asks, amused.

I feel my face flush scarlet.

_Shit, did I really just say that?_

"Uh…yeah. It's just something I say. Sorry, I guess that's not the most ladylike expression."

He snorts. "Bella, you may not be aware of this, but I don't give a shit about you being ladylike." I can just see him using air quotes around the word.

"Good, because I'm not exactly a girly girl."

I throw that out there, because he needs to know. If that's what he's looking for, he's barking up the wrong tree.

"I know. That's one of the things I like most about you," he says.

_Most? Really?_

"Well, thanks…I think."

He must sense that I'm not exactly sure why he would like that about me, so he continues.

"I just mean, I love the fact that you're into video games. I love your sarcasm and that you're just as much of a goofball as I am. I love that you're not fake and don't just say things you think I want to hear." After a short pause, he continues. "I just really like you, Bella."

_Wow._

He likes me. Does he mean _like me,_ like me? It sounds like it. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I don't think he'd be saying things like that if he just wanted to be friends. If he just wanted to be friends, I don't think we'd even be on the phone with each other right now.

I tend to get very shy and anxious when I talk to a guy I like if I'm not sure he likes me back. But getting to know Edward like this creates a nice shield. It's easier for me to be myself and not worry about the physical side of things yet. It gives me more courage.

I decide to tell him some things I like about him too.

"I think you're one of the sweetest guys I've ever met. I love your honesty; how you just come right out and say what you mean. That's hard to find in…anyone really." I shrug, even though he can't see me. "I'm just happy to be getting to know you, and…I really like you too," I finish quietly.

He sighs in what sounds like relief.

_Did he really think I wouldn't feel the same way?_

He makes me laugh and makes me feel good about myself. What's not to like?

"So, uh…what are you wearing?" he asks in a mock seductive voice, so I can tell he's at least half joking.

I snort. "Ass."

"Hey, it was worth a shot," he replies with a sexy chuckle.

As our conversation continues, we talk about anything and everything. Now that our feelings are out in the open, it flows effortlessly.

We talk more about my family and his. He has much happier stories, so mostly his.

We talk about our likes and dislikes, just getting to know each other as much as we can in one night.

It's getting pretty late, and I'm yawning constantly.

"You should get some sleep, sweetheart," says Edward after my eight millionth yawn.

"But I don't want to let you go," my sleep deprived brain lets me whine.

He chuckles, and I smile, even though I said something maybe a little too desperate and clingy, because I just love that sound.

"I don't want to hang up either, but we should both get some sleep."

"I know. You're ri-" I yawn again before finishing the word.

He just laughs at me again and says, "It was really great talking to you. Can I call you tomorrow sometime?"

_Uh, yes please._

"Of course you can. Just let me sleep until at least ten, my time. Thank God I'm off work tomorrow. I usually work on Saturdays."

"Oh, you do? That's shitty."

"Yeah, tell me about it. But it's a short shift, so I can't complain too much."

"Alright, well, sleep well, sweet girl."

I smile and blush at his innocent endearment.

"You too. Goodnight, Edward. Thanks for calling."

"Trust me, it was my pleasure. Goodnight, Bella."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye."

I finally hang up. I guess we were both a little reluctant.

I smile and clutch the phone to my chest like the girl I am.

After another yawn, I pass the fuck out, still holding my phone.

~XXXXX~

"Shit! What?"

Disoriented, I start whacking my alarm clock to make the incessant noise stop.

But it doesn't stop.

I rub the sleep out of my eyes and look to my right. My phone is laying on my bed, lit up and ringing.

_Better not be my mother._

I gasp when I see it's Edward calling me. And my smile is huge when I see it's 10 o'clock on the dot.

"Hello," I rasp. I clear my throat and try again. "Hello?"

"Sorry, did I wake you?" he asks.

"Well, yes, but it's okay. I did say 10 o'clock."

"Yeah, I'm not so good at the waiting thing," he replies. "It is noon here, after all."

_He couldn't wait to talk to me._

Maybe I'm still dreaming.

"Ow! Shit!"

"What happened? Are you okay?"

I rub the spot on my arm where I pinched myself and mutter, "Yeah, fine, sorry about that. So, you were saying how you just couldn't wait any longer to talk to me?"

"Don't get cocky over there, Miss Swan."

_Oh fuck, how does he make my name sound so sexy?_

"I'm far from cocky, Mr…" I trail off.

_Shit, I don't know his last name? How is that possible?_

"Cullen," he supplies.

When he asked about my screen name a few days ago, I told him that Swan was my last name. May not have been the safest thing to do, but Edward doesn't worry me too much. At least not in that way.

I _am_ still worried about getting hurt. That's always in the back of my mind, but it's time for me to move on from my experience with Mike. I need to try to put myself out there and just hope for much better results.

"So, I did some thinking while I was waiting to call you," he begins.

"Did you hurt yourself?"

"Shut up," he laughs. "I'm being serious."

"Okay, what were you thinking about?"

"I was thinking...we should meet."

* * *

><p><strong>Damn, that boy moves fast! ;)<strong>

**_Animal House_ refers to the movie _National Lampoon's Animal House._ **

**More chat lingo:**

**rofl = rolling on (the) floor laughing**

**Story Rec: Perfect Timing by the lovely Nuttyginger - Bella is carrying a baby that isn't hers. Edward has more trust issues than you can shake a rotten stick at. Can a heart that has never loved and a heart that was broken heal each other? Or will misunderstandings end them before they even start? ExB, AH - Complete and under-reviewed! Go...now! :)  
><strong>

**Thank you for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated!  
><strong>


	6. Mail Order Bride

**Thank you all SO much for the reviews, favorites, and alerts! I am blown away! Thank you, thank you!**

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. It's her world; I'm just visiting.**

**Massive thanks to Nuttyginger and rosellebec for their pre-reading and beta work on this! I heart you ladies!**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Previously:<strong> "I was thinking…we should meet."_

**Chapter 6**

**EPOV**

Whoever said silence is golden was full of shit.

I probably shouldn't have laid that on her after she just woke up, but I _was_ thinking about it all morning while I was waiting to call her.

"Bella? Did I lose you?"

"Uh…wha- I mean…you want to meet me?" she asks, sounding baffled by this.

Why is that so unbelievable? I realize it's fast, but I've put some thought into this.

"Yeah, just hear me out, okay?"

"O- okay," she stutters out.

"I really like you, and you really like me, right?"

"Riiight." She draws out the word a bit, trying to follow my train of thought.

"Good. Okay, so my thought is that we should meet sooner rather than later. We have such great chemistry on the phone, but it could be really different when we're together in person. If we can figure that out early on, then we'll know if we're just going to be really good friends or if there's something more between us. I mean, I want there to be more, and I hope you do too. So..."

More silence.

_Fuck me and my rambling._

"Bella?"

"Yeah, um…okay. That makes sense. I guess it would be kind of a waste of time if we spend six months talking on the phone and then we're totally incompatible in person."

She pauses for a second. "Well not a waste, but you know what I mean," she amends.

I breathe out a quick sigh of relief that she gets what I'm saying.

"Exactly! And I'm not saying it has to be next week or anything, but I thought it might be good to start planning now, with the holidays coming up. Maybe we could get together in January?"

That seems so far away right now, but that's probably our best option since it's almost Thanksgiving.

"Hold on. You don't even know what I look like yet. Are you sure about this?" she asks.

"Bella, I've put a lot of thought into this. I've never met a girl like you. What you look like doesn't matter to me at this point. And like I said, once we meet, we'll know whether or not we have that physical chemistry."

"Well…alright. I will get that picture to you though. I'll have Alice help me tonight." She sounds determined, and I can't wait to see her.

"Sounds great."

I have a feeling I won't be disappointed. I've always been attracted to brunettes, and her being tall makes it even better. Just thinking about those long legs wrapped around me…

_Down boy._

I adjust myself and let out a quiet groan, but I guess she hears me because…

"You okay over there?"

_Shit._

"Oh, yeah. I'm fine; nothing to worry about."

I'm going for nonchalant.

"If you say so," she responds skeptically.

I don't want to freak her out. We're not quite to that level yet. After all, this is only our second phone conversation.

We end up talking for hours again, and before I know it, my stomach is trying to eat itself. I cradle the phone on my shoulder while I heat up some dinner and listen to Bella tell me about some guy named James who comes into her work.

"Wait a second. He's _stalking_ you?" I clench my fists on the countertop as I feel my blood boil.

"Well it's not really that bad," she says. "He just says creepy shit a lot. He hasn't done anything to me."

Why do I feel like it's only a matter of time?

"Bella, you need to be careful, okay?" I know I sound like her father or something, but I feel very protective of her.

She's already so important to me.

"I am," she says, getting a little defensive now. "My dad's a cop, so I'm pretty aware of my surroundings. He definitely instilled a bit of paranoia in me, which can be good and bad."

I take a bite of my microwaved pizza and burn the roof of my mouth.

"Fuck, ow!"

"What are you doing?" she asks with a light laugh.

"Sorry, I had to grab something to eat. I burned my mouth."

"Aw, want me to kiss it better?" she asks innocently.

_Oh, but you're not innocent at all, are you Miss Swan?_

"Any time, baby," I respond with a smirk I'm sure she can hear.

She's silent for a second, probably realizing what she said. One thing I've noticed about Bella is that she sometimes makes flirtatious or dirty comments without even realizing it. It's pretty hilarious.

"Alright, alright. Don't get too excited over there," she says dryly.

"I'm always excited when I'm talking to you."

_Crap. _

I didn't really want that to come out sounding like I'm sporting a massive boner every time I talk to her. I mean, I usually am, but that's beside the point. Whatever she thinks I mean, it doesn't seem to faze her, because she just says: "Me too."

We finally decide to leave our little phone bubble, because we've been talking for the better part of the day.

"Okay," she says. "I'm going to send you that picture in a little bit. I'll just get Alice to snap it for me, and then I'll email it to you."

"Awesome. Do you want me to let you know when I get it?" I ask this because I have two sisters, and I know girls can be insecure. It's also pretty obvious that Bella, in particular, is insecure about the way she looks for some reason. If she doesn't hear from me at all after sending me her picture, she's bound to start freaking herself out.

"Uh, yeah, I guess that would be cool."

"Okay, so I'll just email you back to let you know I got it and give you a call tomorrow?"

"That sounds good, Edward. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

I can tell she's smiling. I love that.

"Oh, and don't forget to look at some dates in January that might work for us to get together," I remind her.

"Will do."

We say goodbye, and I finish up my pizza before heading out to my balcony for a cigarette. It's then that I realize I haven't had one since before I called Bella at noon.

_Hmm, w__eird._

As I watch the wisps of smoke curl and dissipate into the sky, I think of what it will be like to be able to talk to Bella face to face. Be able to touch her and see her smile.

I can't fucking wait.

~XXXXX~

It's been a couple hours since I hung up with Bella, and I admit I've been checking my email constantly for at least the last forty-five minutes.

I hit reload for the nine thousandth time, and there it is.

**From: bella . swan1()hotmail . com  
>To: ecullen78()msn . com<strong>

**1 attachment**

Well, here you go. I know I look like a dork. You don't have to tell me. :P

~Bella

* * *

><p>When her picture appears on the screen, I'm motionless with shock.<p>

I was pretty sure I would find her at least somewhat physically attractive, because women are just beautiful creatures in general. But this girl...she's straight up gorgeous.

Those eyes… Deep, dark pools of chocolate that I could easily drown in.

Long, thick lashes.

The sexiest fucking lips on God's green earth.

_Holy mother of all things…holy._

_Yeah._

I know I'm done for. If I wasn't already sure of it before, just knowing her personality, it's definite now.

She does look a little dorky, I'll give her that, but only because she's trying too hard to pose for the picture. There's also a cat in the picture with her, which she's never mentioned.

_God, I hope it's not hers._

I really hate cats.

I don't know if I should just email her back or give her a call to tell her how fucking beautiful she is.

I decide she needs to hear it, not read it.

She's surprised to hear from me again tonight.

"Edward, hey! What's up?"

_What's up? Is she serious?_

"I'm sorry, I couldn't just email you back about your picture," I start.

"Oh, um…okay."

I can hear the insecurity in her voice.

"Bella, you are incredibly beautiful," I say with conviction. "And anyone who has told you differently is either blind or a complete moron."

Silence.

Sniffle.

_Fuck, is she crying?_

"Shit, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry. It's just-"

"No," she chokes out. "No, it's okay. I just… thank you, Edward. That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me."

_Happy tears._

My smile is huge.

"Okay, so January. Don't forget."

She laughs heartily and replies, "I won't. I promise."

We say goodbye once again, and now I'm even more impatient to meet her.

She is perfect.

~XXXXX~

"Mom, Dad! We're here!" I shout as I step through the door to my parents' house. Rose is behind me, hauling her giant suitcase.

I'll never understand why women need so much crap for such short trips. We're only here for four days.

"I need options!" she'd shrieked at me when I grumbled at how ridiculous she was for packing so much while I loaded the trunk.

Jasper is bringing up the rear. He flew into Chicago from Austin, and we all car-pooled home for Thanksgiving.

Mom comes from the kitchen, which is where she spends most of her time, to greet us.

"Hi, sweetheart. How was your drive?" She kisses me on the cheek.

"It was fine. No problems."

"Oh good. I'll let you kids get settled in. Dinner will be ready in about an hour," she says before hugging Rose and Jasper and bustling back into the kitchen.

I walk into my tiny childhood room to drop off my stuff. I swear it shrinks more every time I come home.

"Where are Dad and Kate?" I ask Mom when I walk into the kitchen. She's got a million things going on. Pots on the stove, pies in the oven, vegetables in various stages of being chopped on the countertops, you name it.

Constantly in motion, she replies: "Oh, I needed a couple more things for tomorrow, so they volunteered to run into town and get them for me. They should be back soon."

I'm already popping the lid off her homemade turtles and swiping a couple before she can see me. There's homemade candy and cookies everywhere, just like every other holiday around here, but these are all I want. Unfortunately, they're also Dad's favorite, so I have to share.

"Need any help with anything?" I ask around my delectable mouthful of chocolate, caramel, and pecans.

"You just couldn't wait, could you?" she asks as she turns from the stove with a raised brow.

"Nope," I reply, popping another turtle into my mouth.

She just laughs and says, "I think I have everything under control right now, but I'm sure I'll enlist some help tomorrow."

"Alright. I'm going to go make a quick phone call. I'll be right back."

She's got her back to me again and just waves her spatula over her shoulder. I take the opportunity to steal a couple more turtles and go back to my room to use my cell phone.

Bella asked me to call to let her know I got here safely. She's kind of a worrier.

"Hey," she says in greeting. "You guys made it okay?"

"Yep, we're here. The weather wasn't too bad, so it was a pretty uneventful drive."

"Oh good."

Her concern makes me smile.

"So, what are you and Alice up to tonight?"

"We're making pies for tomorrow. We've been put in charge of dessert, but I think we might have gone a little overboard. We have enough stuff to make about seven pies."

She's going to her aunt and uncle's house for Thanksgiving this year since she can't afford to fly down to her dad's.

"How many people are going to be there?"

"Not enough for seven pies," she says with a laugh.

She laughs a lot. It warms me.

"Well, I'll let you get to it. I'll try to catch you tomorrow to wish you a happy Thanksgiving."

"Okay, sweetie, sounds good. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Alright, talk to you then."

When I hang up, I have a weird feeling of emptiness for a minute. It's probably because short phone conversations are not normal for us. We've talked for hours almost every day since that first night, and all I want to do right now is lie across the handmade blanket that covers my childhood bed and call her back. I want her laugh to warm me some more. I want to hear more about her crazy week at work. I just want more.

I think I'll always want more with this girl.

I can't believe I'm actually going to _see_ Bella in a little over a month. We've planned to meet around Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in January, because she gets a day off work for it. We haven't worked out all the details yet, but at least the dates have been agreed upon. Plus it's close to my birthday.

Best. Birthday Present. Ever.

"Slackers," I say snidely to Rose and Jasper as I pass through the living room where they're just lounging around watching TV already. They don't even acknowledge me.

Yeah, Kate and I are the helpers of the family.

I head back into the kitchen to help myself to more turtles.

_See? I help._

"Everything okay, dear?" asks Mom.

"Oh, yeah. Everything's fine. I just needed to call a friend of mine to let her know I got here safely."

Mom's eyebrows shoot up her forehead.

"You have a girlfriend?"

"Well, no. Not exactly."

"Okay, out with it. What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on. She's a friend who wanted me to call her when I got here, because she worries." I gauge her reaction to see if she's going to back off, but she's not having it. She just gives me that look that moms give, that makes you cave every time.

"Okay, okay. Fine. Her name is Bella. I met her online, and we haven't met in person yet, so nothing is official. But I really like her," I finish with a smile.

"You really like who?" I hear a voice boom from behind me.

I turn around and see the massive form of my best friend in the doorway.

"Hey, Emmett. I didn't know you were coming for dinner." I give him the one-armed man hug. We've been best friends since we were little, but we don't get to see each other as much these days since he still lives here in Georgetown.

"Yep, gotta spend the day before Thanksgiving with my second family," he says as he wraps his beefy arms around Mom.

She squeals and hits him with her spatula because he's cutting off her circulation.

"So, who were you talking about?" he asks as he goes for the turtles…_my _turtles.

"No way, dude. Back off the turtles if you want to live."

"Hey, I'm a growing boy. I need the protein. Right, Mom?" he flashes his dimply grin.

_Protein…right._

"That's right, sweetie. You just have as much as you want." Mom ruffles his hair like he's fucking five years old.

"Growing boy, huh? Growing _out_ maybe." I pat his baby beer gut.

"Hey, who needs a six-pack when you can have a keg?" he replies, pushing his belly out even more.

I just shake my head and laugh at him as usual.

Just then, Dad and Kate walk in the door, and I go over to help with the grocery bags.

"A couple things, huh?" I ask as I take some of the bags from Kate.

"Yeah, well you know Mom. She has to have enough food to feed an army. How you doing, big brother?" Kate asks as she bumps her shoulder against mine.

"I'm doing great. How 'bout you, little sis?"

"All good here. I finally got my license," she says, beaming.

Kate's sixteen.

"Awesome, congrats!"

"Thanks!"

"Happy Thanksgiving, Son," Dad says as he heads to the kitchen with the rest of the bags.

"You too, Dad."

Dad's not exactly a conversationalist.

After we sit down for dinner and everyone's filled their plates, Emmett starts in again.

"So, Eddie boy, you gonna tell us about your girlfriend?"

"First of all, Em, don't call me Eddie. You know I hate that. And second, I don't have a girlfriend." I try to ignore all the curious looks I'm getting from my family and shove another bite of mashed potatoes into my mouth.

"Oh, come on, dude. When I came in earlier, you said 'I really like her,'" he says using air quotes with a chicken leg in one hand. "So, who is it? Did you meet a hot nurse? Or a sexy UPS delivery girl? Did she ask what brown can do for you?"

I snort. "Emmett, you watch entirely too much porn."

My parents are pretty laid back, so this conversation doesn't even faze them.

"Too true, dude. But come on, tell us. Inquiring minds want to know."

I'm momentarily mesmerized watching Emmett continuously shovel food into his mouth while he's looking at me expectantly.

I shake my head to clear it a little and figure I might as well just tell everyone all at once.

"Alright, fine. I did meet a girl."

"I knew it!"

"Yeah great job there, Columbo," Rose snarks. After which, she immediately blushes.

_Hmmm._

Rose can usually be counted on for snide comments, but the blush is new. I'll have to figure that one out later.

"Yeah, so her name is Bella, and I actually met her online." I pause a moment to gauge everyone's reaction.

"Online? Really?" Of course Emmett is the first to pipe up. "What is she, like a mail order bride or some shit?"

_Lord, give me strength._

"A mail order bride, Emmett? Do you even hear yourself when you talk?" I ask him.

"Well yeah, dude. I'm not deaf."

_Oy._

Emmett isn't stupid. He just doesn't always think before he speaks…especially when he's distracted by food.

"Wow, okay. No, she's not a mail order bride. I met her while I was playing one of my online games."

"That's cool," says Jasper. "What's she like?"

I can't help but smile at my brother. "She's smart and funny and really sarcastic. You guys would really like her."

"Hopefully we'll get to meet her someday soon," Mom says in a hopeful voice.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves now. Like I told you earlier Mom, _I_ haven't even met her yet."

"Wait," Emmett interrupts. "What do you mean you haven't met her yet? Does she live far away or something?"

"Yeah, in Washington state." I reply a little sadly.

"Oh, dude, I'm sorry. That sucks."

A few groans of sympathy are let out around the table.

"Yeah, well, it is what it is. I certainly wish she lived closer to me, but she's amazing, so it's worth it to me to see where this goes."

"Awww," Mom and Kate say at the same time. Rose just rolls her eyes.

Dad clears his throat. "Does she play cards?"

"Um…I don't know, Dad. I haven't asked her that. Why?"

"Well, when you bring her here, we'll have to teach her to play Pitch," he says like it's a foregone conclusion.

Pitch is a popular card game in our little hometown. It's similar to Spades, but the trump suit changes every hand.

As much as I hope to bring Bella here one day, I'm just not sure what's going to happen at this point.

"I'm sure she'd love that if and when that happens. I really think she'd fit right in around here. And just to give you guys a heads up, we are planning to meet in person in early January." Mom starts to say something, but I cut her off. "And before you ask, we haven't worked out the details yet, but even if she does come to Illinois, I don't want to overwhelm her by having her meet my parents right away."

"But dude," Emmett interjects. "You have like the coolest parents on the planet."

_Suck-up._

Mom reaches over and pinches his cheek and then starts scooping more mashed potatoes onto his plate.

_Those two…I swear…_

"Still, I think it's way too soon for that. We need to be able to have some time together to figure things out. We have to find out if we're physically compatible-"

"Yeah, baby. That's what I'm talkin' about," Emmett interrupts crudely.

"That's not exactly what I meant Em," I say, rolling my eyes. "I just mean that we know things could be different once we're face to face, so we have to find out if the chemistry we have now is going to translate."

"Well I think that's very smart, honey," says Mom supportively. "And if you decide to fly there and need help with your ticket, let us know."

I glance at Dad to see if he agrees with Mom's offer, but he's just busy eating, so I assume he's cool with it. Dad doesn't tend to get involved in his kids' love lives.

"Thanks, Mom. I really appreciate that."

"Well," Kate says with a big smile. "I'm super excited for you, and I can't wait to meet her!"

_I love my baby sister._

I return her smile and simply reply, "Neither can I."

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you so much for reading! And thank you again for the lovely reviews. I cherish each and every one!<strong>

**Just in case you don't know what the turtles are that Edward is eating (one of my British friends hadn't heard of them) - they're just blobs of caramel and pecans dipped in chocolate. So yummy!  
><strong>

**Story Rec: Faking It by spanglemaker9 - Half of Hollywood's most famous couples are faking it. That's how Bella Swan's publicist convinces her to pretend to date troubled Hollywood bad boy Edward Cullen. And she'll do anything for her band and her music. Rated M - Complete - Everything I've read of hers is amazing...go...now...read!**


	7. So Much Trouble

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. It's her world; I'm just visiting. No copyright infringement intended. Original content/plot is the property of the author. Plagiarism maims.**

**Massive thanks to Nuttyginger, rosellebec, twilly, and NielleHeartEdward for their pre-reading and beta work on this! I heart you ladies!**

**Any mistakes are all mine as I tend to tinker right up until I post.**

**A/N: Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! A couple of you have PMs turned off so I couldn't reply to your review, but they were very much appreciated!  
><strong>

**Chapter 7**

_**Thanksgiving Day, 2002**_

**BPOV**

"You have to make him come to you," Alice says as we get things together to start the turkey on Thanksgiving morning.

She's trying to be supportive of this whole thing with Edward. I can tell she still has a hard time with it a little bit, but she's really making an effort, which I appreciate.

"Why?"

"Well, for one thing, I would feel a lot better about it." I start to interrupt, but she continues. "I know you feel like he's a really good guy, and you trust him and everything. But really, for my peace of mind, please just see if he'll come here."

"Okay," I concede. "I can't guarantee anything, but I'll talk to him."

"Thank you. Plus, I just think since he's the guy, he should make the effort to show that he's committed or whatever. Know what I mean?"

"Sure, I guess so," I reply with a shrug.

I get what she's saying. It's not as much of a risk for him to come here versus me going out there. I want to trust Edward with everything in me, but I'm trying to keep a level head. That's not always easy though. His charm completely disarms me at times, and I just can't wait to meet him.

"So, what are we doing with this turkey again?" I ask Alice as I haul the thing out of the fridge.

"We're going to rub butter into the skin and season it with salt and pepper. Then we're going to dip the cheesecloth in a white wine and melted butter mixture and spread it out over the top." Alice discovered this way to prepare the turkey that's supposed to keep it really moist. Hopefully it works. Screwing up the turkey on Thanksgiving would really suck. Especially since it took some convincing for my aunt to even let us do it in the first place.

"Okay, so what should I do first?"

"We need to take out the bag of giblets first."

"The what?" I ask with a slight grimace.

"There's a bag of giblets inside the cavity of the turkey. That needs to be removed," Alice says while she's melting the butter to mix with the wine.

"Uh…" I warily eye the dark cavern that I'm supposed to be sticking my hand into. Tentatively, I reach toward it, but I just can't seem to make myself do it. I try again a couple more times, but it just gives me the heebie-jeebies.

"Sorry, Alice. You're going to have to do this part."

"Why? What happened?" she asks distractedly.

"Nothing," I reply. "I just can't stick my hand up a dead animal's ass."

She stops what she's doing and looks at me for a second. Then she just busts out laughing and takes over, directing me to get the cheesecloth soaking in the wine and butter mixture.

Luckily, the turkey turns out to be absolutely delicious. We all stuff ourselves to the gills and eat more pie than any human should be allowed to consume in one day.

It's awesome.

As I lean back in my chair and pat my stomach…you know, because I'm sexy like that, I hear my cell phone ring from the other room.

I look around the table to see if anyone would mind if I go answer it. They're all just chit-chatting or still working on dessert, so I excuse myself for a minute.

"Hey. Happy Thanksgiving, Dad." I'm a little disappointed it's not Edward, but happy to hear from my dad all the same.

"Hey, kiddo, same to you. You guys having a good day so far?"

"Oh, yeah. Alice and I did the turkey, and it turned out great!" Whether it is or not, it feels like a major accomplishment.

"Oh good. I just wanted to call and check in on you. Seems like we haven't talked in a while."

He's right. It's been a couple weeks, during which time I met Edward online, so I haven't told my dad about him yet. I'm hoping he'll understand since he met Sue online, but I don't know. I am his baby girl after all.

"Everything's good with me. Work's been okay. Same old, same old. How about you?"

"Oh we're good here. We just miss you, kiddo. Thinking about moving back home anytime soon?"

He asks me this a lot. I don't think he really understood why I would want to move across the country. I really love my dad and Sue, but I just needed a change.

After leaving college, I was living with them, which was okay at first. But then my step-sister, Leah, who was 15 at the time, started stealing from me, and it got so bad that I had to put a key-lock on my bedroom door.

Then she got pregnant, and I ended up babysitting all summer after she moved out and my dad and Sue took custody of Claire. Granted, I got paid for it, but after all that, I just decided it was time for me to get out on my own.

I had always been really close with Alice and absolutely loved Washington, so it was kind of a no-brainer. I just got really lucky that it worked out with Alice wanting to move out of her parents' house around the same time. When she found us a great apartment in Port Angeles, I couldn't wait to get there and have a fresh start.

"I don't think so, Dad. Sorry. I really love it here. It's so beautiful, and I'm having fun living with Alice so far. I also really like being close to some extended family for a change."

He grunts in understanding and replies, "We just want you to know you always have a place to come back to if need be."

I smile to myself, because the holidays must be making Charlie sentimental. He's not usually so forthcoming with his thoughts and feelings.

"Thanks, Dad. I really appreciate that."

Verbose or not, my dad has always been there for me. He definitely lost his way when he married Maria…hell, even marrying my mom was probably a mistake. But he's finally found a good partner in Sue, and she's been more of a mother to me in just the last few years than my own mother has my whole life.

"No problem, kid. I guess I'll let you get back to your Thanksgiving festivities, unless you've got anything else you wanna talk about."

_Hmm to tell or not to tell…that is the question._

I think I'll wait and see how things go, and maybe tell him once Edward and I have nailed down the details of this first visit. At least I hope it's only the first of many.

"Nah, I'm good. Tell Sue I said hi, and kiss Claire for me."

"Will do, Bella. We love you and miss you. Hope to see you soon."

"Me too, Dad."

~XXXXX~

_**Three weeks later**_

The Friday before Christmas is fucking mayhem at the bank this year. Everyone must've put off their shopping until the last minute, so they're withdrawing cash left and right.

_They're called debit cards, people…use them!_

I hate this time of year in general at the bank, because we're more likely to get defrauded. People tend to get desperate around the holidays, so we all have to be extra diligent.

When I see James walk in the door, I do my best to stifle my groan of annoyance. It's so exhausting having to constantly combat his advances, especially when I'm having a stressful day.

"Hi, James, how are you today?" I greet in my best fake 'I'm-so-happy-to-see-you' voice. It's the same one I use on any customer I don't particularly like. Gotta keep up appearances.

"I'm great now that I'm here with you, Bella," he responds with a creeptastic smile.

_Did he seriously just say that?_

Keeping the happy mask on, I just ignore the comment and take his check to start processing the transaction.

"Bella?" James says to get my attention.

"Hmm?" I don't look at him as I open my teller drawer to get his cash.

"I was just uh, wondering…do you need me to take a look at your car for you?"

I freeze in the middle of counting his cash out. How the hell would he know that I've been having trouble with my car ever since it was broken into last week?

"Um, why would you ask that?" I eye him carefully.

He looks around a bit, a little uncomfortable, because he probably realizes he just outed himself as a full-blown stalker and possibly a thief. Most of my CDs were stolen.

"Oh…uh…you must've mentioned it last time I was in."

_Right, 'cause that happened._

"Forget I said anything," he adds.

I'm not sure what to do. Do I press him or just let it go for now?

I decide to count out his cash and send him on his way. I don't know what would happen if I were to confront him right here in the middle of the bank. One thing I know for sure is that he's not what I'd call stable.

That evening on the way home, I call Edward like usual.

"Hey, baby. How was your day?"

"Ugh."

"That good, huh?" he asks with a chuckle.

"Yeah, it was nuts today, and of course it's Friday, so I had to deal with James. He really freaked me out," I say without thinking.

_Shit._

I know Edward is already on edge about James. I probably shouldn't say stuff like 'he freaked me out,' but I talk to Edward about everything. It's just natural for me to vent to him.

"What did he do?" he grits out in anger.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to make you worry. He just mentioned the problems I've been having with my car recently." I pause for a second, and then start to panic. "But I don't get how he would know anything about that. What if he was the one who broke into it? That means he knows where I live, because it happened right here in the lot in front of our apartment. Oh, shit. What do I do?"

"Breathe," he says calmingly.

"Are you talking to me or yourself?"

"Both," he replies. "I fucking hate that I'm so far away. I feel like I should be able to protect you from this asshole. I just want to knock his _fucking teeth_ out."

"Breathe," I repeat.

He sucks in a breath and blows it out. "Trying."

"Let's not talk about it for now. I'd rather just relax and spend time talking to you about happier things, like the fact that you're coming here soon." That last part makes a smile bloom on my face.

I talked to him about Alice's concerns, and it turned out he was actually thinking he should be the one to make the trip anyway. He'll be here in less than three weeks.

I can barely contain my excitement.

"Yes that is a much happier subject, but Bella, you've got to take this seriously. I know it's unlikely you could get a restraining order without any direct contact or threats, but there's got to be something you can do. Maybe call the police and have them add what he said to your report?"

"Um…I didn't file a report."

"You what?" he exclaims. "Why not?"

"Well, I talked to my dad about it, and he said the police wouldn't really do anything about some stolen CDs. And since there was no damage that I could see at the time, I decided not to."

"Shit. I guess there's nothing you can do then," he says dejectedly. "Please, please be careful Bella. This guy is sounding more and more dangerous every time I hear about him."

"I will. Don't worry," I soothe. "Everything is fine. Don't forget I'm a cop's daughter. I've been carrying mace since I was fifteen, and I'm not afraid to use it."

He laughs lightly.

"Good."

Alice holds up a note in front of my face, and I nod at her.

"Hey, Alice wants to go out for dinner. Do you mind if I give you a call later on tonight?"

"No, that's cool. You guys have fun, but be careful. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, talk to you in a bit."

~XXXX~

After dinner, I say goodnight to Alice and go to my room to call Edward again. She's used to this now, so it's no big deal. I think she understands. He and I can't hang out. This is all we have.

"I'm sorry. I didn't even get a chance to ask how _your _day was earlier. Anything exciting happen in the warehouse today?"

"Well only if you call me almost falling off a forklift from twenty feet in the air exciting."

I gasp.

"Holy shit. And you're getting onto _me_ about being careful? Jesus."

"Accidents happen, but I'm all good. Nothing to worry about. I can handle myself," he says confidently.

_Mmmm, handle himself…_

"Oh, I'm sure you can."

"You know it."

"Mmmm."

I'm lying in my bed now, relaxing a bit. I use the term 'bed' loosely, because it's a futon mattress on the floor. But it's super thick and extremely comfortable, so I haven't wanted to spend the money on an actual bed thus far.

Any time I'm lying on my back in my bed and not sleeping, my hand inevitably tends to migrate south. I don't know why it's such a natural thing for me to do. It's not like I'm always going to town on myself, but the slow steady rubbing definitely relaxes me.

"Bella?"

"Mmm. Mmhmm?"

"Are y-"he clears his throat and starts again about an octave lower. "Are you touching yourself?"

We're definitely much more comfortable with each other on the phone now. We've talked so much in the last few weeks, I feel like he's my best friend…but more.

"Possibly."

"Shit," he groans. "What are you wearing?"

"Oh, not much. Just a tank top and panties," I reply innocently.

I'm actually wearing a sweatshirt and pajama pants, but he doesn't need to know that. I mean, come on, it's December.

"Fuck, baby. You're killing me. I'm going to my bedroom."

_Yes._

We've done this a couple times now, and it is _so_ hot.

I can hear a bunch of rustling in the background, and then he's back.

"Are you in bed now?" I ask him.

"Yes."

"Naked?"

"Yes."

_Good God, he's going to kill me._

"Tell me where your hand is," I say seductively.

"Wrapped around my cock. _Fuck_, you make me so hard, baby."

I whimper embarrassingly.

"Are you wet for me, Bella?"

"God, yes." My fingers are speeding up, and I'm about to come already. Just the sound of his voice turns me on so much.

"Are you close, baby?"

"Yes," I moan out.

"Come for me," he murmurs.

"Oh, _fuck_." I squeeze my eyes shut, and my body goes rigid as the orgasm courses through me. I don't know if his words actually caused it, or if it was just impeccable timing, and I don't care.

"God, Bella. You are so fucking sexy." He's breathing heavily into the phone.

"You got me so wet, baby. You could just slide right in."

"_Fuck_," he grits out. "Are you still touching yourself?"

"Yes." I'm even more sensitive now, and it feels amazing. "I'm imagining what it would be like if you were here with me. What would you do if you were here in my bed right now?"

"God, I would kiss every inch of your skin. I would drape those long legs over my shoulders and taste that sweet pussy."

_Oh, dirty boy._

"_Yes," _I moan_. _"What else?" I'm rubbing pretty slowly now, so I can come with him this time.

"I would fuck you until you scream my name."

His words send tingles racing all over my body and create a deep ache inside me.

"God, you're killing me. Why do you have to live so far away?" I practically whine.

"I don't know," he complains. "Shit, I'm close." I can hear his heavy breathing and the muffled smacking noises his movements are causing through the phone. Time to help him bring it home.

I try to make my voice just a little huskier and almost whisper: "I would wrap my lips around your cock and suck on you until I've swallowed every last drop you give me."

_That oughta do it._

"Fuck, yes. Oh shit. _Fuck_, Bella."

While he's coming, I increase my pace until I'm falling over the edge with him. It doesn't take long. My man gets me so worked up, it's ridiculous.

"Shit." He's trying to get his breathing under control as he's coming down from the high.

"I know. We are in so much trouble."

Edward laughs. "Yeah, you're _totally_ gonna put out the first night I'm there," he teases.

We've discussed this a bit already. If the chemistry between us is there in person, it's a definite possibility that we'll end up sleeping together while he's here next month.

"Don't get too full of yourself over there. I can resist you," I say with fake confidence.

"Oh no you can't, Miss Swan."

_Shit, how does he _do _that?_

"Well…just…whatever." I can't think straight right now. He's too damn sexy for his own good.

He laughs heartily at me, and I hear him moving around, most likely cleaning up after our fun.

"Hey, I'm gonna put the phone down for a sec while I use the bathroom," I tell him.

"Okay, no problem. I need to get dressed anyway."

_Aw, sad._

As I'm washing my hands, I spot the new addition to my nighttime routine – birth control pills.

I was never on them before, because I really didn't have a need for them. But when Edward and I were talking about his visit, the topic came up.

Evidently, he hates wearing condoms. He says they "strangle" him and that sex just doesn't feel as good with them on.

I could sort of understand that.

As much as neither of us wanted to hear about it, we had to talk a little bit about our previous sexual partners. And as it turned out, we had both made some not so great decisions in the past.

I had to tell him about how Mike didn't use condoms when we slept together.

_I know, I know._

I admit I was stupid and naïve. Don't ever fall for the whole "I'm going to pull out" bit. Just don't. I'm lucky I didn't get an STD or end up pregnant by that asshole.

Edward also admitted that he didn't use them with one girl he'd been with, but that she'd been on the pill.

After that, we both agreed to get tested, and I let him know that I'd get on the pill so that we wouldn't have to worry about condoms – as long as we were exclusive.

He readily agreed, saying there was no one else he wanted, turning me into a puddle where I sat.

I wash my pill down with some water and head back to my bedroom.

"Miss me?" I ask when I put the phone back to my ear.

I'm only teasing, but he replies sweetly with, "Always," making my lips curve into a huge smile.

"Not much longer now."

"I know. I can't wait until I can just reach out and touch you or kiss you whenever I want. It's going to be awesome."

His words make me melt. He's just so perfect; I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. It always does eventually…at least in my experience.

When I hear the slight pop of his lips and exhale over the phone, I know he's having a cigarette.

That's the only thing so far that really bothers me about him. It's probably because my mom is a chain smoker. I just find it to be a completely disgusting habit. The smell alone is enough of a reason to hate it - it permeates everything – but there's also the obvious health risk. He's mentioned wanting to quit a couple times, and I hope he will one day. I just hope it's sooner rather than later.

We eventually say goodnight, and as I drift off to sleep, the only words running through my mind, are _three more weeks, three more weeks, three more weeks..._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: That thing with the cheesecloth in the wine and butter really does make for a delicious turkey, FYI. ;) Next chapter is the one we've all been waiting for... :D  
><strong>

****Story Rec: We Are Young by MyLifeandHis - Destiny doesn't do home visits. I can sit and chit chat with Bella, flirting with her on my balcony all I want to, but am I actually going for it? - Complete - You will love this Edward! So sweet.****

****Tropic of Virgo by In. a. blue. bathrobe (remove the spaces) - He's a young but jaded musician writing lyrics for his band, and she's a naive, frustrated poet looking to break out of her shell; their words collide online. What happens when they meet in high school, unaware of their literary connection? - Complete - Ah-may-zing!**  
><strong>


	8. Baggage Claim

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. It's her world; I'm just visiting. No copyright infringement intended. Original content/plot is the property of the author. Plagiarism maims.**

**Massive thanks to Nuttyginger, rosellebec, twilly, and NielleHeartEdward for their pre-reading and beta work on this! I heart you ladies so much!**

**Any mistakes are all mine as I tend to tinker right up until I post.**

**A/N: HUGE thanks to Shahula for nominating this story for Fic of the Week on The Lemonade Stand! I'm still in shock.**

**Now...let's get these kids on the same side of the country, shall we?  
><strong>

**Chapter 8**

_**Thursday, January 16, 2003**_

**EPOV**

Fuck, I'm nervous. I think my balls are sweating.

Not only am I meeting the girl of my dreams today; I'm also flying for the first time.

Jasper says it's no big deal. He flies back and forth from Austin a lot. But shit, the first time is scary, no matter how old you are.

The flight attendant comes over to check on me…again. She keeps pushing her boobs into my face when she passes drinks and snacks to the people next to me. I'm this close to telling her to back the fuck off.

Obviously I'm in the aisle seat. I was really hoping it would provide more leg room, but only my right leg gets to stretch out if the aisle is clear. I also didn't have any desire to be near the window. Looking out and seeing the clouds right outside would be just another reminder that I'm several miles in the air, in a glorified steel tube.

_That,_ I could live without.

I pull out my headphones. Maybe listening to some music will help me chill the fuck out. I lean back and close my eyes while Pink Floyd's "The Wall" lulls me into relaxation.

For the next hour or so, I'm comfortably numb.

Classic rock is definitely my music of choice, but my tastes are pretty eclectic overall. Country music, however, I can't fucking stand to listen to. Jasper's all about it now that he's living in Texas, and it almost makes me want to disown him. Thankfully, Bella hates it too. That shit could seriously be a deal-breaker.

Well…not _really._

When the captain announces that we're making our descent into Seattle, I start fidgeting again.

Bella and I are best friends. More than that, really, and we're totally comfortable with each other on the phone. But meeting in person could be a game changer.

I grip the armrests on either side of me as the wheels touch down, and then my right hand has to fly up to keep my face from slamming into the seat in front of me.

_Okay, landing – not so fun._

I sit back for a second, but then we're suddenly at the gate, and everyone around me jumps up to start grabbing their stuff.

_Jesus._

It's like an organized stampede or some shit.

I need a fucking breather…or a cigarette.

I don't want to get blocked in by this wall of people in the aisle, so I shove my way in and grab my carry-on from the overhead bin.

Bella and I are meeting in the baggage claim area, but I didn't check a bag. I'm a guy. I don't need '_options_.'

_Bella._

Shit, I'm going to see her in just a few minutes. My stomach starts doing somersaults, and I'm not sure if it's from the super-fun landing or because I'm about to see my beautiful girl at last.

Probably both.

We all make our way through the tiny aisle like cattle. I think I even hear someone behind me moo, which makes me laugh out loud.

I needed that.

My impatience begins to get the better of me again as we inch along. I just want off this damn plane already. I roll my shoulders and neck to try to release some of the frustration.

It doesn't help.

When I finally break free from the mass of people, I take off at a brisk pace toward baggage claim.

As I descend the escalator, I'm scanning the people waiting below. I don't spot her at first, because she's standing back a bit. But the moment I do, my heart just about stops.

Our eyes lock, and her face lights up in a stunning smile. My stomach starts doing flips again. Her photo didn't do her justice at all.

She's breathtaking.

As I get a little closer, my eyes begin to roam her body…

_Holy fuck, a skirt? Is she trying to kill me?_

**BPOV**

"Alice! Help!"

She rushes into my room. "What? What is it?"

I'm sitting on the floor surrounded by clothes. "I don't know what to wear!" I cry.

"Well why didn't you say something sooner? You know this is my area of expertise," she says as she starts going through the piles. "Seriously, Bella. Do you own anything other than jeans and long sleeved t-shirts?"

"Well yeah, I have work clothes, obviously," I respond, rolling my eyes.

"Uh-huh…sensible black pants and long sleeved button-downs?" she asks rhetorically. "There's no way I'm letting you out of here dressed like a man…no freaking way," she finishes with an exaggerated headshake.

"Alright, fine. So, help me."

"I'm looking. Give me a minute," she replies while rummaging through my closet. "It's too bad you're so much taller than me. I've got some cute stuff you could borrow."

"Not helping," I grumble.

"Relax. It'll be okay."

I knew I would be nervous about meeting Edward, but this is ridiculous. I can't sit still, and my stomach is in knots. Alice has threatened more than once to tie me to a chair until it's time for me to go.

I wouldn't put it past her either. She'd use any excuse to play Bella Barbie with me.

"Here we go. How about this?" she asks, holding up a cute little flowy skirt that I forgot I had.

"Oh, that's cute. Do I have a shirt to go with it?"

She laughs. "Yeah, it was right next to it." She's holding up a fitted button down shirt with capped sleeves. "But you're going to need a cardigan or something to wear over it."

"Yeah, okay. I think I have something."

Luckily, it hasn't been terribly cold this month, so I can get away with the skirt. Most of the time, our winters are somewhat mild - being near the ocean has its advantages. I'm pretty well acclimated to the cooler temperatures now. I don't think I'll ever move back to Florida.

Alice, of course, wants to do my hair and makeup, but I don't want a big makeover right now. I want to look like me. So I just wear my hair down and tame it the best I can. Then I put on some mascara and a little lip gloss, and I'm good to go. Sometimes I go for some blush, but I have a feeling my cheeks will have plenty of color all on their own tonight.

I spend the two and a half hour drive constantly messing with my hair, re-applying my lip gloss after chewing it off, and changing the radio station every two seconds.

Yeah, I'm still freaking out.

I've got my overnight bag in the backseat. Edward's flight gets in kind of late, so we're going to stay in a hotel tonight. Alice isn't very happy with this plan, but I told her not to worry. Edward and I have probably talked more in the last month and a half than most couples do in six months or more. I truly believe I would have picked up on anything suspicious. He can't be that good of an actor.

As I walk into the baggage claim area, people are looking at me funny…because I'm muttering to myself.

"Breathe, Bella. You can do this. It's just Edward. The man of your dreams. No big deal."

_Yeah right._

When I spot him on the escalator and our eyes meet, the butterflies that were fluttering around my stomach threaten to bust their way out.

I can't believe he's finally right in front of me. In just a minute, I'll be able to touch him.

_Whatever you do, just don't faint._

As he gets a little closer, I notice his clothes. It's cute that he tried to dress up for me, but…

Now I'm no fashion expert, but it looks like maybe he hasn't bought clothes in a while. Or maybe his mom buys all his clothes, and _she_ hasn't done it in a while.

His khaki pants are just a little too short, and his shirt looks like it's from the early '90s. Outdated glasses are perched on his nose, but none of that matters. He's still my beautiful man with his wild hair, which as it turns out, is kind of coppery, and his piercing green eyes.

We're smiling as we approach each other. When we're about a foot apart, we stop a little awkwardly – not sure what to do.

"Hi," he says.

"Hi."

We both chuckle nervously. It's a nice release.

"How was your flight?"

"Fine. A little crazy, but I survived."

_Oy, that grin. It might kill me._

"Well, should we…" I jerk my thumb toward the exit.

"Yeah, but first-" He steps toward me and wraps his long arms around my waist, and I'm enveloped in solid man-flesh and warmth. "Hi," he says again, quieter now, into my ear.

His warm breath on my ear muddles my brain, and all I can respond with is, "Mmmmm."

"Now that's a sound I hope to hear often," he murmurs into my hair.

We laugh against each other, and my body tingles all over.

"Ow!" Edward exclaims as he's pushed into me after someone rolls by and hits him with their suitcase.

"Shit, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess we should get going."

"Yeah, okay. I'm parked right out this way."

As we walk to my car, we're side by side but not really touching. The back of his hand brushes the back of mine every few seconds though, which sends sparks flying up my arm.

"This is me," I say as we approach my ten year-old Honda Accord. "It's not much, but it gets me from point A to point B."

"Hey, it's better than mine. I drive an old Chevy Cavalier. It's kind of a piece of junk," he says with a little half smile.

I return his smile before sliding in behind the wheel. He throws his bag in the backseat and climbs into the passenger seat next to me.

_God, he smells good._

We have about a forty-minute drive ahead of us. We're staying in Edmonds, so our drive to Port Angeles isn't quite so long tomorrow.

I start fiddling with the heat, not knowing what to do with myself with Edward sitting right next to me. We're both sneaking glances at each other and smiling like idiots, but we're not really talking yet. I also catch him looking at my legs a few times.

_Thank you, Alice._

Once we get going on the highway, I rest my right hand on the stick shift like I always do.

_That's right. I know how to handle a stick._

Edward tentatively reaches over and covers my hand with his.

It's so warm.

"Is this okay?" he asks a little shyly.

I breathe out a sigh and reply: "It's more than okay." I meet his eyes for a second and smile to reassure him.

This seems to relax him, and he rests his head on the back of his seat and closes his eyes.

I chance a peek at him while his eyes are closed and just admire his handsome face.

_How the hell is he single?_

"Are you hungry?" I ask after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Starving. They fed us these nasty sandwiches on the plane," he responds, scrunching up his nose without opening his eyes.

_So cute._

"I'll find a restaurant close to the hotel where we can stop for a bite. I'm kind of hungry myself since I was on the road for a bit and didn't get a chance to eat dinner."

"Okay, sounds good."

He seems to be enjoying our little bubble in the car, so I turn on some music and enjoy the ride with his hand on top of mine.

I find a sports bar near our hotel and pull into the parking lot. As we walk inside, his hand finds mine again, and he intertwines our fingers. I look down at our linked hands and then up to his smiling face.

My smile still hasn't faded, and I give his hand a little squeeze as we make our way to the door, because it feels so right to be holding his hand. It feels like he's been holding my hand forever.

~XXXXX~

Edward is munching on a potato skin as we sit across from each other at a small, round table, and his emerald eyes feel like they're burning a hole straight through my face.

My cheeks heat up as I bring another spoonful of soup to my mouth.

After another beat of silence, I have to ask. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

He chuckles and shakes his head. "No. I'm sorry. This is just so surreal."

"Yeah," I breathe out. "I know what you mean."

"It's like, we've talked about so much stuff, and it feels like we know each other so well, but now we don't know how to act." He wipes his mouth with his napkin. "I can't believe you're finally sitting here with me. It's just bizarre to be doing something as normal as having a meal with you," he finishes with a shrug.

"Very. But I'm really glad you're here," I say a bit shyly.

He places his hand on top of mine on the table. "Me too."

We make more small talk as we eat, and it's not entirely uncomfortable.

I just wish I knew what he was thinking. I know I'm attracted to him. Despite the dorky clothing, he's sexy as all hell.

It just feels like he's holding back a bit. And I don't know if it's because he's not sure how forward he should be, or if he's having second thoughts about all this.

Long distance relationships are hard for even the most stable of couples. In a way, we're just starting out, so maybe he doesn't think I'm worth all the effort.

My mind often goes to worst case scenario, and I have a hard time reining it back in. As the negative thoughts make their way through my brain, my eyes start to tear up a little bit.

_Shit. _

I kind of bow my head over my soup so he can't see.

"Hey, you okay?"

"I'm fine," I reply without looking up.

"You don't seem fine."

"I'm sorry," I say with a sigh and put my spoon down. "This is just kind of overwhelming."

"Did I do something wrong?" His gorgeous but sad eyes break my heart a little.

"No, of course not. I'm just having all these thoughts and feelings running around in my head, and I can't make sense of any of it."

"What kind of thoughts? Are you having doubts about this?" He's stopped eating too.

"No," I say with a small shake of my head. "Are you?"

I almost don't want to hear the answer. And I don't get to right away because the fucking bimbo server comes over and shoves her rack in Edward's face yet again.

_I will cut a bitch._

"We're fine. Thank you," I hear him say through my jealous haze.

I accidentally turn my murderous glare on Edward after she walks away, which startles him a bit.

"Bella, please. Whatever I did, just tell me."

I take a deep breath and try to reel in the beast. I'm not usually the jealous type, but I think it's scaring me that he's not really mine at this point. And I very much want him to be.

"It's nothing you did or didn't do, Edward. I'm just scared."

"Of what? Of me? I thought we established that I'm not a psycho killer," he says with a wink as he takes my hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

I give him a wry smile, thinking back to the days when we first started talking online. And let me tell you, that wink is way more powerful than the ones in my imagination.

"Funny. No, I'm just scared of this whole situation. I don't want to get hurt, and I don't know how you feel, but I just really like you, and I've been hurt before, and-"

His fingers on my lips stop my rant. "You're rambling," he says with a smile.

"I'm sorry," I mumble through his fingers.

He chuckles and removes his hand. "It's okay. I get what you're saying."

"You do?"

"Well, yeah. It's normal to be scared of getting hurt. If you're not, then your heart's probably not in it to begin with," he replies with a small shrug.

_Wow._

Sometimes he's so insightful. It surprises me.

"And as far as how I feel…I'm happy to be sitting across from you," he says with a grin that makes my heart skip a beat. "It's great to finally be able to touch you and see your smile." I automatically smile at that, and he leans forward and lightly strokes my cheek. "I've told you time and time again that I like you. That hasn't changed."

I can tell he's being completely sincere, and I breathe a little easier as I attempt to explain.

"I'm sorry. I think it's just that I don't know how to act or what to say with you right here in the same room with me. The thousands of miles between us created a buffer of sorts. It seemed like it was easier to just be myself over the phone and not be worried about how I look or whatever."

His thick eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Worried about how you look? Are you kidding?"

I hate when this happens. When I get all insecure and self-conscious. It tends to spiral out of control, and then it's hard to turn it around.

I shrug and look down at my bowl again. I'm beyond frustrated with myself, because I know I'm ruining this. But I just can't stop the runaway train that those doubts are on.

"Bella, look at me."

Reluctantly, I look up at his gorgeous face. His eyes are pleading.

"You are so beautiful, it almost hurts to look at you."

Again, total sincerity. My cheeks flush and I duck my head a bit. I tamp down the natural instinct I have to dispute him and instead reply, "So are you... And thank you."

~XXXXX~

Now that the air has been cleared somewhat, our conversation comes easier.

"Do you want any dessert?" I ask him after we've finished our dinner.

"Nah, I'm not hungry anymore."

"You don't have to be hungry in order to have dessert," I say with a smile. "You just have to be not quite full."

"Oh, is that how it works?" he asks with a smirk, leaning across the table toward me.

"Yep. There's always room for chocolate," I respond with a nod.

"Okay then. Let's split something." He peruses the dessert menu. "They have a brownie sundae."

"Oh, God yes," I practically moan.

He just stares at me slack-jawed for a second, and then shakes his head as if to clear it.

"So-," he starts, but has to clear his throat. "So that sounds good then?"

"Yeah, that's my favorite."

I'm sucking on the spoon a bit to get the hot fudge off after my third bite, and he still hasn't dug in.

"What are you waiting for? It's so good," I breathe out.

He's just sitting back a bit and still smirking at me.

_I think that smirk might kill me._

"I can tell."

I just smile and go for another bite. He finally starts to eat too, and I'm momentarily mesmerized by the little bit of chocolate smudged on the side of his mouth.

"You have a little-" I lean forward and reach my hand out. He watches my face as I gather the chocolate from beside his highly kissable lips and bring my finger to my mouth. I suck on it lightly to remove the deliciousness.

"Check, please!"

~XXXXX~

When we get to the car, Edward stops me before I get in.

"I just want to try one thing."

He steps a little closer and cups my jaw in both of his large hands.

_Finally._

He tilts my face up toward him as he slowly closes the gap between us. I watch his full lips intently as they get closer and closer. And when he's just a hairsbreadth away, I close my eyes and wait for impact.

His lips touch mine tentatively. It's barely a kiss, but I feel it in every cell of my body. Even my scalp is tingling.

As he begins to alternate sucking on my bottom lip and then my top, I realize my hands are still by my sides. So I bring them up around his neck and thread my fingers into the back of his hair.

_So soft._

He groans and swipes his tongue over my bottom lip, and I open to him instantly.

I've _never_ felt this much from just a kiss before. My entire body is on fire.

He brings his arms down around my waist and pulls me flush against his body, and we both moan at the contact.

"Get a room!" someone yells from across the parking lot.

_Oops._

We break the kiss and I drop my forehead to his shoulder as we both start laughing.

"Let's go," he says by my ear.

_Shiver_

~XXXXX~

As I check us in at the hotel's front desk, I can feel Edward's body heat on my back, and it's killing me. I just want to touch him constantly.

We haven't kissed again since the parking lot, and I'm already craving it. Riding in the elevator with him is like torture, but he's carrying both of our bags, so I can't exactly attack him.

He's behind me as we walk down the hall, probably checking out my ass, which is fine by me.

I swipe the key card and open the door to our room. As I'm walking in, I hear two thuds behind me, and then I'm spun around and slammed against the wall.

My heart rate spikes with panic as my head throbs in pain.

_What the _fuck_?_

* * *

><p><strong>Dun, dun, dun…<strong>

***runs and hides***

**Story Rec: Pinky Swear by Kharizzmatik - Bella always knew she loved her best friend, but it isn't until she finds out he's engaged that she remembers just how much. How far will she go to make him see he's marrying the wrong woman? A story about finding your heart and losing your head. AH E/B - This story will rock your world...trust me. Loosely based on My Best Friend's Wedding, only with a much more fun ending :)**

**Thank you so very much for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated!  
><strong>


	9. Ripe

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. It's her world; I'm just visiting. No copyright infringement intended. Original content/plot is the property of the author. Plagiarism maims.**

**Massive thanks as always to Nuttyginger, rosellebec, twilly, and NielleHeartEdward for their pre-reading and beta work on this! You all make these chapters so much better!**

**Any mistakes are all mine as I tend to tinker right up until I post.**

**A/N: Thank you all SO very much for voting for this story on The Lemonade Stand! We did not win, but it was so exciting to be nominated!**

**I am ecstatic to announce that this story now has a banner, made by the ever lovely and talented Jaime Arkin! More info & links on my profile.**

**On with the show...**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Previously: <em>**My heart rate spikes with panic as my head throbs in pain.

_What the _fuck_?_

**Chapter 9 - Ripe**

**EPOV**

"Oh shit, Bella. Are you okay?" I ask frantically as I take a step back to give her some room.

_God, I'm such an idiot._

I hadn't meant to hurt her. I just couldn't take it anymore. That sweet ass was torturing me all the way down the hallway.

I had to touch her again.

She furrows her eyebrows and rubs the back of her head where it hit the wall. "Yeah… I think so."

Her eyes don't show the panic they did a moment ago, so I reach out and pull her away from the wall a bit. My hand cradles the back of her head and I drop a kiss on the top as she brings her arms around my waist. "I'm so sorry. I think I got a little over zealous there."

"Just a little." Bella chuckles and looks up at me from under her thick lashes. My heart does something weird in my chest as she continues to look into my eyes. It's hard to describe, but it's almost like someone is squeezing it to see if it's ripe.

Whatever it is, I know it's not something I've ever felt before. And I know this gorgeous girl is doing it to me.

She's still got those deep eyes trained on mine, and they're pulling me in like a tractor beam.

I capture her lips again, _finally. _And when she threads her fingers through my hair once more, it's my undoing.

As our tongues tangle together, my hands graze down her sides and come to rest on her hips. Bella's teeth lightly scrape over my bottom lip, and my grip tightens, causing her to moan into my mouth and press her body further against mine.

We fit together perfectly.

_Fuck_, I need to feel more of her softness…more of _her_. My hands begin to travel up over her waist and torso, and when I cup her breasts and squeeze lightly, she whimpers.

"Too many clothes," she mumbles against my lips.

Her hands fly to the buttons on her sweater and it's gone in seconds. She's left in a little short-sleeved button down shirt that's molded to her body. Almost every one of her luscious curves is revealed to me.

"Beautiful," I breathe out.

I don't give her time to take anything else off as I press her up against the wall…a little more gently this time and attack her lips again.

We're lost in each other, and it's not clear if she climbed up my body or if I lifted her up. But her long legs are wrapped around my waist, and my painful erection is pressed right where it wants to be.

The friction is _unbelievable_ as we grind against each other, and every little moan and whimper she emits goes straight to my cock.

I'm holding Bella against the wall with my hips, so my hands are free to move to her outer thighs. I slide them slowly over her soft skin until they reach the object of my obsession: that sweet, sweet ass.

Pulling her impossibly closer, I squeeze it like there's no tomorrow while rocking my hips against her.

_Fucking fantastic._

"Oh, God…please," she cries as she rips her mouth from mine.

"What, Bella? What do you want? Please tell me. I don't want to mess this up," I plead in between kisses to her neck.

She pulls on my hair to maneuver my head so she can look me right in the eye – her own eyes on fire. Her skin is flushed beautifully. I couldn't tear my eyes away from her even if a nuclear bomb was dropped outside.

Her red, swollen lips part, and my breath catches as I anticipate her answer.

"Fuck me," she whispers.

_That's my girl._

My lips crash against hers as her fingers fumble blindly with my belt buckle. She finally wrenches it free and goes for the button. After getting it undone, she yanks the sides so the zipper will part and shoves my pants and underwear down as best she can. I'm barely paying attention to the fact that they've pooled around my ankles as I alternate kissing her lips and jawline.

When I realize the only thing in my aching cock's way is her panties, I lock one arm low around her waist and bring my other hand down to shove them to the side.

"Oh, fuck yes," she moans.

I glide one finger over her slick flesh until I reach her entrance. There's no doubt in my mind that she's ready for me. Adding a second finger, I pump into her a few times for good measure before lining myself up and then moving my hand back to her ass.

"Hold on tight, baby," I murmur before driving into her with one quick thrust.

**BPOV**

My fingers tighten around the silky strands of his hair as I cry out at the blissful intrusion, my inner walls squeezing him automatically.

"Christ, Bella…_fuck."_

My only response is a breathy, shuddering moan.

Edward stays completely still for a moment, buried inside me. His forehead drops to my shoulder, and I scratch softly at the hairs on the back of his head. We both feel it - our connection is powerful.

After releasing a shaky breath, he pulls his hips back slowly, his cock dragging against me in the most delicious way; then he plunges back in, making me gasp out his name.

"_Yes," _he hisses.

He repeats the slow drag and hard slam a few more times, clearly reveling in the sounds I make for him. It feels _so_ fucking good, but I need more. I tighten my legs around him, urging him on and hoping he'll give in and let loose. His tongue runs a hot trail up my neck to just behind my ear, sucking lightly there as he begins to set a steadier pace. My grip on him tightens even more as I whimper again. That spot behind my ear is apparently directly connected to my clit.

When he presses his forehead to mine, pinning me with those intense green eyes, the world tilts on its axis. It's _never_ felt like this before. I would swear on everything holy that this man was _made_ for me.

We continue to gaze at each other in awe as our hips connect over and over again, lips never quite touching but breathing in each other's pants and moans. I can see his hairline getting damp with sweat as he works my body like he's been doing it for years.

When I can't hold off my orgasm any longer, I shove my hips against his and push my heels into his ass to try to hold him there for a moment. Thankfully, he takes the hint. My entire body constricts around him, and my walls grip his cock like a vise. I can't help but bite down on his shoulder and dig my fingernails into his back as the pleasure radiates through me.

"Oh, God," he groans against my neck. "You feel _so_ good, baby."

"You too…_fuck_," I whimper, barely coherent as he starts pumping into me again.

My legs are a little shaky now, but I hold on for dear life. I don't want to miss a single second of this.

"I'm not going to last much longer." He's breathless, and it's sexy as fuck.

"It's okay. You're gonna make me come again," I whisper in his ear, letting my lips graze it. I'm not just saying it. I can already feel it building again, my body still so sensitive from coming just moments ago.

"_Fuck, yes_," he grits out.

Soon after, Edward's thrusts become a little erratic. He slams up into me one final time and finds his release with a long drawn out groan.

I'm mesmerized by him as he comes. Eyes clenched shut and neck muscles straining... He's perfect.

My climax hits me as I watch him, and as we ride out every intense shudder together, I already know... He's ruined me for any other man.

He's all I'll ever want.

As his legs start to give out, my back slides down the wall. Edward takes a few steps to steady himself, but his pants are still around his ankles. He quickly loses his balance and falls backward, still holding onto me.

The floor gives a resounding thump when his head hits it, and we both start laughing hysterically.

"Now we'll both have concussions," I say after catching my breath a bit.

He looks up at me with the cutest little pout. I just want to kiss it, so I do.

Somehow he's still inside me, and I'm straddling his hips. As we kiss, the semi he was left with starts to come back to life.

_Fuck. Me._

I pull back and look at his face after he thrusts up lightly, and he just smiles and waggles his eyebrows. This, of course, makes me laugh again.

"Oh, keep doing that. It feels awesome," he groans out, his smile replaced with a look of concentration as he grips my hips tighter.

"What? Laughing?"

"Yes."

I snort and kiss him again before getting up off the floor.

"Come back." He's pouting again.

_So cute._

"I'll be back in two minutes…promise," I say as I grab my bag from the entryway and head toward the bathroom.

"I'm timing you!" I hear him shout just before the door closes, which makes me giggle.

There's nothing else in this world I want more right now than to be out there making love to him again, but damn. This coming inside me business is messy…and I have to pee.

I'm also still fully dressed, and I have on some sexy underwear that he needs to see properly.

Yeah, I came prepared.

I figured it was pretty unlikely that we'd be able to resist the temptation if all went well - especially being in a hotel room alone together. So I actually dragged my ass to Victoria's Secret and picked out some nice things, because pretty much all I had before were sensible cotton briefs and mismatched bras.

Of course now my panties are a little gross, so I dig through my bag and find a different lingerie set to put on so I'll look presentable.

_Alice would be so proud._

When I open the bathroom door, I see Edward is now in the bed with the covers drawn up to his waist.

"Miss me?" I ask from the doorway, trying out my underused seductive voice. At least I hope I sound seductive; not like someone who smokes three packs a day.

"Always," he replies before patting the bed for me to join him.

Why am I suddenly nervous? He just fucked me up against a wall, for crying out loud.

This seems more real now for some reason. When we first came in, we were so caught up in the frenzy, it was almost automatic. Now, it feels more like a conscious decision – at least for me.

I take a deep breath, steady my nerves, and push myself away from the door. I'm staring into his eyes as I walk to the bed…which would be great if I wasn't such a klutz. But of course it's me, so I stub my toe on the night stand and start hopping around like an idiot.

"God Bless _America_, that hurt!" I sit on the edge of the bed to examine my pinky toe and hear Edward start cracking up behind me. He's laughing so hard, he has his face buried in the pillow.

"Shut up. It's not funny," I say as I start to laugh too. "Ass."

I grab the pillow closest to me and whack the back of his head with it, which makes him pop up in shock. He reaches up and takes it from me before I can bring it down again and tosses it to the floor. Then suddenly his warm hands are on the bare skin at my waist. It seems like he's going to pull me close to him, but he wiggles his fingers against me instead. I start almost convulsing, because I'm so ticklish it's ridiculous. I'm sure I made the mistake of telling him this at some point, and now he's testing the theory.

"Okay! Okay! I surrender!" I say while trying unsuccessfully to breathe between his attacks.

I'm quickly flipped to my back, and Edward's hovering over me. "Are you sure about that, Miss Swan?"

_Oh, God._

When he says my name like that, it makes all my pink parts tingle. Words fail me, and all I can do is nod slowly.

He gives me that heart-stopping smirk before leaning down and placing lingering kisses all over my neck and collarbone.

"Mmmmm."

He chuckles lightly against my neck. "There's that sound I love."

_Love._

That word falling from his lips makes my stomach do backflips.

That's when it hits me.

I'm in love with him.

_Shit, I can't tell him that_.

I'd see an Edward-shaped hole in the door about ten seconds later.

I mean, we've only been together in person for a few hours. But I just know… I feel it in my bones. The rush of emotion I feel just being able to touch his face and run my hands through his hair. The feelings I have for this gorgeous man are all-consuming. I've never felt this way before about anyone – least of all Mike, which further confirms that I didn't know anything about love back then.

"Bella?" Edward's soft voice brings me out of my thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"You look beautiful in this." He's running one long finger under my midnight blue satin bra strap. "But it needs to come off."

He doesn't have to tell me twice. I arch my back a bit and reach underneath me to unhook the bra. Now that it's loose, Edward slowly pulls it away from my body, which makes me squirm in anticipation.

After he tosses the bra onto a nearby chair, he just sits back and stares at me…well, my breasts.

_Hmm, thought he was an ass man. Score one for the girls._

He's so fixated though, that I start to get self-conscious after a few moments and bring my arms up to cover myself.

"Please, don't."

"What is it?"

"Nothing. You're just perfect."

I melt at his words and relax as his hands caress my legs.

My eyes roam from his handsome face to the lean muscles of his beautiful shoulders and arms; then the hard planes of his chest and stomach until they land on…

_Oh, my._

He's not covered up anymore. He's completely naked…and still hard.

_Duh, Bella. Half naked girl usually equals erection._

He's sitting back on his heels, so I have the full view of him in all his glory.

Now I'll admit that penises in general are not attractive, but this boy…this _man_ has the prettiest one I've ever seen.

It's standing straight up, pointing to his chin and curved slightly toward his stomach.

_God, no wonder that felt so good._

It's not huge, which I can appreciate since I'm going to want to taste him at some point. But it's definitely big enough to fully satisfy me…_clearly_.

Like a moth to a flame, my hand reaches toward it. I have to sit up, which brings Edward out of his boob trance.

"What-" he starts to speak, but his words are cut off by a stuttered breath as my hand wraps around his cock.

_Silk on steel._

I'm up on my knees in front of him, and I lean forward to kiss him. I suck and nibble on his lips while slowly stroking him. His hands quickly find my breasts, and he alternates between fondling them and lightly pinching my nipples.

His touch exhilarates me, and I'm gasping into his mouth.

As I speed up my ministrations a bit, I feel one of his hands come down and still me. I pull back and look at him with questioning eyes.

"I need to be inside you," he murmurs before crashing his lips back into mine and using his body to push me back down to the bed. He has to break away to slide my panties down my legs. This simple action turns me on so much that a loud moan escapes me, and my cheeks flush in embarrassment.

Luckily, Edward doesn't seem to notice. He just comes back to capture my lips again in a scorching kiss.

His weight on me is divine. He's all I can see, hear, feel. It's too much and not enough.

"God, Bella, you-" He doesn't finish his sentence before kissing me again. He's rolling my nipples between his long fingers, and I'm pretty much grinding against his leg that's between my thighs.

I feel him shift, and then he's right where I need him to be.

This time he takes his time pushing into me…savoring it.

We both let out a long moan as he sinks in to the hilt, and he buries his face in my neck.

As he begins the delicious push and pull, I feel his lips and tongue touch my neck lightly. I have one hand threaded through his hair, cradling the back of his head and the other splayed out on his back, feeling his muscles move underneath his skin as he moves within me.

It's not long before I feel the tightening low in my abdomen that's begging for release. Edward must be learning my body already, because he stills for a moment, and my orgasm crashes over me as I cry out.

"Yes, baby," he whispers as he begins to move again.

I just let out a soft whimper and kiss the side of his neck. There are no words.

He pulls his head back to look at my face, and I'm awestruck. He looks amazing with his glasses on but with them off I can really see those emerald eyes. Heavy lidded and gorgeous and full of some emotion I can't quite pinpoint…but my heart hopes it's love.

We've begun a slow, sensual dance, both pulling our hips back and languidly meeting in the middle – our bare chests smashed together. There's no rush, no frenzy...but the passion remains.

It's indescribable.

"God, how can this feel so good?" my muddled brain lets out.

"I don't know," he moans. "But it's fucking incredible."

_I love you._

My second orgasm sneaks up on me. It's quiet but powerful, and I release with a long shuddering moan. After a few aftershocks, which Edward enjoys just as much as I do, he kisses my lips and lifts himself off me. I pout for a second until I see his intentions.

He sits back on his haunches and lines himself back up with my soaked entrance. Then he hooks my legs up over his forearms and thrusts back into me.

"Oh, fuck!" My head snaps back, and my eyes squeeze shut of their own accord.

The way his dick curves upward is making something heavenly happen inside me as his thrusts continue, deeper and deeper. And there's no stopping the screams coming out of me as his pace quickens.

He props my legs up on his chest with my ankles on either side of his head. As he leans forward, my calves slide across his shoulders, and he brings his hands down to latch onto my breasts. He's squeezing them so hard as he uses them for leverage to keep pumping into me, I'd think it would be painful. But it just sends even more sparks of pleasure rocketing through me.

"Oh God, Bella. Fuck, I'm-" My legs come down, and he collapses on top of me as he comes. The most intense orgasm I've ever had in my life rips through me, and I'm pretty sure I black out for a second or two...or ten.

When our movements cease, we're left in a sweaty mess of heaving breaths and soft kisses on each other's skin. And when he slips out of me, I feel the loss acutely and wish this night would never end.

Edward moves to the other side of the bed and lifts his arm up for me to scoot into his nook. As I snuggle in, I immediately decide this is my new favorite place to be.

He kisses the top of my head and breathes out, "That was…"

"I know."

My hand is resting on his chest, and I can feel his heart still racing. He brings his hand up to cover mine and squeezes lightly.

I smile against his skin, because I love that he can convey a thousand words with the simplest of actions. I feel like holding hands is one of the most underrated things in a relationship. It's one of the most basic ways you can connect to another person, but it speaks volumes.

"Bella?" He sounds worried.

I prop my chin up on his chest so I can see his face. "What is it?"

"I'm-" he starts. He closes his eyes and lets out a heavy breath, and I start to get nervous. Is this where he tells me this was all he wanted, and now it's over?

_No, he's not Mike._

"I know you're going to think I'm crazy, but I have to tell you." Now his verdant eyes are looking into mine with a burning intensity.

I gulp. "What?"

"I think I'm in love with you."

All the breath and tension leaves my body and I melt into his side.

I move up to kiss his sweet lips and murmur, "I love you too."

"You do?"

"I do."

"So you don't think I'm crazy?"

"Well, if you are, then we both are."

His smile is huge. "I can live with that."

We lie there for a while just basking in everything that's happened between us tonight.

I can't believe I ever doubted him and what we could be together. He's wonderful.

A few minutes pass, and he decides to get up to grab a quick shower.

I'm entirely too comfortable and boneless to move right now, so I just lie in bed and watch him move around the room naked as the day he was born. He walks toward his bag that's still by the door, and my eyes are glued to his hot-as-fuck ass.

_I could definitely get used to looking at _that_ every day_.

All my insides quiver at the thought.

The sound that comes out of said ass when he squats down though, makes him freeze. He slowly turns his head toward me with a blush on his cheeks.

I can't help but laugh, because he's so damn cute.

His blush deepens. "Don't laugh at me," he says while trying to contain his own laughter.

"I'm sorry," I get out between chuckles. "But dude…farts are funny."

_Twelve year-old boy brain strikes again._

"Yeah well, that's not exactly something I wanted to happen at this particular moment."

_Awww._

"It's no big deal. Remember, I'm not a girly girl, so I'm not going to freak out every time you have a bodily function," I remark with a smirk.

"Oh, I'll give you a bodily function," he says as he stands up and stalks back over to me with a predatory look in his eyes.

_Again? What is he, a machine?_

"What about your shower?" I ask as I pull the covers up to my chin.

"That can wait."

~XXXXX~

I'm soaking in the tub, because three rounds and countless orgasms in less than two hours is a little much, even for a self-proclaimed nympho like me.

Don't get me wrong. He's amazing, but my hoohah needs to recuperate a bit.

When I emerge from the bathroom, I find Edward fast asleep in bed with still-damp hair from his shower.

I have to take a minute to admire his beauty.

I still can't believe this gorgeous man wants me…is in _love_ with me.

I know some people will tell us it's too soon to know if we're in love, but they'll be wrong.

This last piece of the puzzle - this physical connection - was all we needed for everything to fall into place for us.

I truly can't wait to see what the future brings.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'd just like to state for the record that multiple O's are not a myth (and remember, Bella has always been lucky in that department) ;)**

**Story Recs: If You Could Read My Mind by bella c'ella luna - Bella has moved back home to Forks. It's only a matter of time until she crosses paths with Edward Cullen, her former best friend and first love. They both thought that they had moved on... full of angst. All-human, LEMONS. - Complete and amazing.**

**Torn by bella c'ella luna - Bella has liked Edward for years, but he's never even looked her way. Just when she gives up and begins to fall for one of his best friends, things change. AH, lots of angst, lemons. - Complete - It's a little different, but awesome. You will love this Emmett!**

**As always, thank you so very much for reading! Please review if you have the time. :)**


	10. Where The Magic Happens

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. It's her world; I'm just visiting. No copyright infringement intended. Original content/plot is the property of the author. Plagiarism maims.**

**Massive thanks as always to Nuttyginger, rosellebec, twilly, and NielleHeartEdward for their pre-reading and beta work on this! You ladies rock my socks off!  
><strong>

**Any mistakes are all mine as I tend to tinker right up until I post.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

**EPOV**

_Oh, yes. Oh, God._

This dream is fantastic.

Warmth and wetness surrounding my dick, soft fingers lightly playing with my balls. Even though I can't see her, I somehow know it's Bella's hot little mouth that's moving up and down my cock.

I think I've died and gone to heaven. Never have I had a dream that felt this real.

"Mmmmm," she moans around me.

My eyes fly open.

_Not a dream._

_Holy shit._

I really _have_ died and gone to heaven.

Bella's really here with me in this bed, and she's really giving me the best wake-up call a man can get.

I release the sheets where they were bunched up in my hands and thread my fingers through her thick locks. I begin to gently massage her scalp, and she moans around my cock again. My whole body convulses and my head comes up and slams back down into the pillow. "Holy fuck," I breathe out. I can't help but begin to thrust up lightly. It's just ingrained in me when something feels this damn good.

It doesn't faze her though. As she works me over, swirling her tongue on every upstroke, my eyes drift closed again from the sheer pleasure that's coursing through me. I battle to open them, but my body can't cope with any more sensory overload.

As I feel my orgasm approaching, I try to lift her off me. I'm not going to hold her to something she's said in the middle of phone sex.

She shakes her head lightly and continues the steady rhythm she's established.

"_Fuck!" _I grit out as I release stream after stream down her throat. I'm a panting mess as she finishes cleaning me off with her tongue and tucks me back into my underwear.

_Is this girl for real?_

She completely owns me.

Bella sits up and daintily wipes the corners of her mouth with her finger, all while looking awfully proud of herself.

She should be.

**BPOV**

As inexperienced as I am when it comes to actual sex, I'm somewhat well versed in the art of the blowjob. Edward had kicked the covers off himself during the night, and that bulge was just begging for my attention.

I have a feeling I'll be doing that often. It completely turned me on to bring him so much pleasure. And loving him like I do doesn't hurt either.

"Come here," he murmurs after he's caught his breath.

He's so fucking sexy, and I think I'd go anywhere he asked me to. Especially where I fit so perfectly, under his arm. I snuggle into the nook and rest my hand on his chest. I love feeling his heart beat beneath his skin. He brings his hand up to cover mine.

"That was a nice way to wake up," he says with a chuckle.

"I thought you might like that."

The hand that's wrapped around my side tickles me a bit, and I playfully slap his chest.

"That's the thanks I get? Jeez."

Edward pulls his body out from under me so quickly that I'm disoriented for a second. Then he's hovering over me with flushed cheeks and smoldering eyes.

_Oh, God._

He begins to slowly kiss his way down my body, starting just below my left earlobe, uttering "thank you" after every touch of his lips to my skin. He descends to my breasts, lavishing each nipple with attention, and down my stomach. I can't help but squirm and arch into him a little, because it feels amazing. Before he goes any lower though, I decide to stop him.

"It's okay. You don't have to do that just because I did."

"But I want to taste you," he mumbles against my skin.

I wiggle out from underneath him, and he falls to his side with hurt in his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I've just never really been comfortable with that," I respond with a shrug.

His eyebrows climb almost to his hairline. "Seriously? Why not? You never seemed opposed to it when I mentioned it on the phone," he says as his face transforms into a smirk.

"Well I didn't want to ruin the mood or whatever, but I don't know. It's like it's just too much or something," I try to explain.

"Too much?" he asks with a contemplative look on his face. "Well, maybe no one's ever done it right. Did you ever think of that?"

I ponder that for a second. "That could be true, but maybe it's just that I don't like it. I'm so sensitive; direct pressure actually kind of hurts most of the time."

"Wow. That's just…weird."

"Gee thanks," I reply, rolling my eyes and getting out of bed.

"Sorry. I just mean I don't think that's the norm. Not that I've slept with a lot of women, but… well, anyway. Let's not talk about that," he finishes uncomfortably, probably realizing he's about to start digging himself into a very deep hole.

"Thank you," I say as I grab one of the hotel robes to put on.

I already know he's been with three women before me, but now I wish with everything in me that we had been each other's firsts. It makes me irrationally jealous to think about him doing the things we did last night with someone else.

He looks like someone just kicked his puppy as he watches the robe cover my naked body, which makes me laugh, relieving any remaining tension. I lean down to kiss his handsome face. "Sorry, babe. We need to get going if we're going to check out on time."

"Okay," he says dejectedly. He hauls himself out of bed and comes over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "I hope you'll let me at least try one of these days." He gives me a sexy smile and leans in to place light kisses from the base of my neck, up the side until his lips are just touching my ear. "I honestly can't wait to taste you," he murmurs.

_Shiver_

I feel like I need to fan myself. And I almost change my mind right then, but think better of it. We really do have to get going. But maybe someday…

As we get ready to leave, I'm amazed at how comfortable we are with each other. It really feels like we've known each other for years, not just a couple of months.

And it definitely doesn't feel like we just met in person for the first time last night.

Edward pinches my ass on the way out the door, and I squeal. Evidently, he likes that response and decides to keep pinching me all the way down the hallway.

"Stop it!" I whisper-yell, while batting his hands away.

"No."

"Stop it right now, or you're sleeping on the couch tonight, mister," I say, pointing my index finger at his face as I back into the elevator, protecting my abused behind.

"Alright, alright," he responds with his hands up in surrender. "I definitely don't want to sleep on the couch…unless you're on it with me," he finishes, waggling his eyebrows.

I snort and push the button to head down to the front desk.

~XXXXX~

I'm nervous as we pull into the parking lot of the bank where I work. Edward agreed to stop by for a visit, because I told him all the girls wanted to meet him.

I don't really know why, exactly. Maybe it's just because they want to know who's been making me so happy lately, or maybe they want to judge for themselves whether or not he's a good guy.

Or…

Maybe they just want to check out his sexy ass…which is what I'm doing right now as he's walking in front of me to open the door.

"Thanks," I say as I pass by him into the lobby.

He pinches my ass again.

"Dude! Seriously!"

He just throws his head back and laughs at me.

Yeah, he knows my couch threat was empty.

It's Friday, but it's mid-morning, so the lobby isn't too busy. And that means James shouldn't make an appearance any time soon. Thank God.

Edward meets my manager, Shelley, first. They exchange pleasantries, and her thumbs-up when he turns his back to her is a sure-fire approval. As we move across the lobby, I can see all of my fellow tellers eyeing him from the teller line.

_He's mine, bitches._

I bring him around to the door that leads to the line, and, of course, Carmen is the first to come say hi.

"Well, let's have a look at you," she says. She waits patiently for Edward to catch on, and he leans down for her. "Oh, he's so handsome, Bella," she says as she examines his face, turning it from side to side.

She's not exactly subtle.

"Hi, Carmen. Nice to meet you," Edward says politely, sticking out his hand to shake hers after she's released his head.

"Oh, nonsense," she clucks as she goes in for a hug.

_Jeebus._

They're going to scare him away before Alice even meets him.

After making the rounds and letting all the girls meet Edward, we're getting ready to leave the teller line when Carmen grabs his sleeve to stop him. She stands as tall as her 5'2" frame will allow and looks him straight in the eye.

"You just remember, kid – if you ever hurt our Bella, you'll have _me_ to answer to," she says fiercely, pointing to her chest.

Edward's taken aback by the sudden hostility in her eyes, and then it's gone and she's smiling again.

"You take care now," she says sweetly, patting him on the chest.

I'm snickering as we get back in the car.

"You all right?" I ask him.

"She's scary for such a sweet little old lady," he replies with wide eyes.

My snickers turn to full blown laughter as we head to my apartment.

Alice is still in class, so we have the place to ourselves for now. Neither of us has eaten anything since last night, so we decide to make some lunch and just hang out for a bit.

After we've finished lunch and cleaned up our mess, I decide to bite the bullet and show him my bedroom.

"So this is where the magic happens, huh?"

I snort. "Pun intended?"

"Of course," he replies with a cheesy grin.

_I love him._

I watch as Edward peruses the games on my desk. His eyes light with excitement when he spots a case he recognizes. "You play Heroes of Might & Magic too?"

"Yep. That one is pretty addicting."

"Yeah. We'll have to play together sometime. We can connect our games online."

"We can? Wow, I didn't know that."

"Yep," he says with a grin as his eyes start scanning the rest of the room.

"Woah," he says suddenly.

"What?"

"That," he replies, pointing at my closet doors.

"What? My closet?"

"No, the mirror," he says, glancing from it to my bed.

"Ah."

My closet's sliding doors are two huge mirrors. And my bed lays parallel to them, across the room.

_Dirty boy._

I really don't want this entire visit to be all about sex, but in the last two months, we've pretty much covered everything we could possibly talk about. All the major things you'd want to know about someone you might start a relationship with – religion, marriage, etc.

It's not like we have absolutely nothing left to talk about, because we still have fun talking about goofy things like movies and games. But when he looks at me like that…

We come together like magnets, stumbling over whatever's in our way, and start making out like horny teenagers.

My shirt is whipped off over my head by impatient hands, and our hungry lips immediately find each other again as if we never broke apart. We're both fumbling with the other's jeans when we hear the front door.

_Great timing, Alice._

"Dammit," he says breathlessly with his forehead pressed against mine.

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. You're just hard to resist." He kisses me lightly once more, and I find my shirt where it landed by my desk. We both finish straightening out our clothes before facing the firing squad.

I'm sure it won't be that bad, but I wonder how long it will take for Alice to go all 'mama bear' on him.

As we emerge from my bedroom, I see a ball of fur go flying by. I hadn't let Roxy out of Alice's room yet, because I know how much Edward dislikes cats.

He was so relieved when I said she wasn't mine, and I couldn't blame him. I'm more of a dog person myself, and Roxy isn't the friendliest of beasts.

"Hey, Alice," I say with an awkward wave as we enter the kitchen.

_Yeah, we weren't about to fuck each other's brains out or anything._

"Oh, hey guys. How's it going?" she asks distractedly while feeding Roxy.

"Good. Edward, this is Alice. Alice, Edward."

"Hi, Ed-" she cuts off as her eyes go wide when she looks up at his face.

_I know, right?_

"Edward, nice to meet you," she recovers and shakes his hand.

"You too, Alice. I've heard a lot about you." He gives her that panty-dropping smile, and I swear I see her sway a little on her feet.

I have to contain my snicker.

"So, what have you two been up to today?" She's just making conversation, but Edward and I both glance at each other and blush a little.

_Subtle._

"I took him to the bank. I think Carmen about made him pee his pants," I tell her as I poke Edward in the side.

"Really? But she's so sweet. What did she say?"

"She pretty much threatened my life if I ever hurt Bella," Edward says.

"Oh. Well, yeah. Same goes double for me," Alice replies seriously.

I just gape at her for a second.

"What?" she asks.

"Nothing." I shake my head and laugh a little.

Don't get me wrong. It's nice to know people care about me and that they're looking out for me, but this seems to be getting out of hand.

When Edward excuses himself to use the bathroom, Alice pounces.

"Wow, he is so cute. I wonder if his brother is as cute as he is. You did say he has a brother, right?"

"Yes, Alice, he has a brother," I reply in a bored tone.

She at least has the decency to look contrite as she catches onto my tone of voice. "So, how did everything go last night? You guys seem to be getting along well."

There's my supportive cousin. She was hiding for a second.

"Yeah, everything is…really great," I reply with a smile.

"So, did you guys…you know…" she asks, raising her eyebrows a bit.

"Yes, Alice, we…you know'd," I say, mocking her.

"Okay, smart ass, so how was it?"

"Phenomenal," I respond dreamily. That's the only word that can properly describe sex with Edward.

This, of course, makes Alice squeal.

"Shhh!"

"Sorry, but that's so awesome! I know you were worried that you guys wouldn't have the same chemistry in person, but obviously that's not an issue. So, are you guys officially a couple now or what?"

"We haven't really said those exact words, but he did tell me he loves me," I say a little shyly.

"Wow. That was fast."

"I love him too," I all but whisper.

"Well, obviously. You did miss_ Friends_ for him last night after all. Now that's love," she says with a nod.

I giggle-snort at her because she said it so seriously.

"Just…be careful Bella. You guys haven't known each other very long."

"I know, I know. It's moving too fast, blah blah blah, but Alice…I really think he might be 'the one.'"

She's about to say something else, but Edward walks back into the room. My cheeks immediately heat up, because I'm hoping he didn't hear that last part. I don't want to put pressure on him.

He just smiles, wraps his arm around me, and kisses the top of my head, and I melt into his side.

~XXXXX~

That evening, the three of us decide to go to Olive Garden for dinner.

"I think I'm going to have the chicken parm," Edward announces to the table.

"Oh, no. You can't," says Alice.

I look at her like she's crazy. "Alice."

"I just mean that's like, Bella's specialty. Hers is way better than anything you'll get in a restaurant."

_Aww._

I blush and duck my head a bit.

Edward bumps his shoulder into mine. "I didn't know you had a specialty."

"I guess I do," I say with a grin as I look at him sideways.

"Chicken fettuccine it is then," he declares.

I can't help but smile at their sweetness as I keep perusing the menu.

"So, are you going to show him around Seattle at all while he's here, Bella?" Alice asks once we've ordered our meals.

"Yeah, his flight leaves in the late afternoon on Monday, so we figured we'd hit up Seattle that morning. I definitely want to take him to Pike Place Market."

"Oh!" She claps a little and bounces in her seat. "I love that place! You guys will have so much fun!"

Edward chuckles a bit. "Yeah, but that's also the day I leave, so it's going to be kind of sad at the same time."

"Oh," Alice deflates a bit. "That's true. God, how are you guys going to survive being so far apart like that?"

My eyes tear up as soon as the words leave her mouth, because I had been trying not to think that far ahead. It was bad enough before we met in person. Now…it's going to be torture.

"Shit. I'm sorry," she says. "I shouldn't have said that."

"No, it's okay." I sniffle a bit. "I guess we'll just have to take each day as it comes. It's definitely going to be hard, though." My voice goes up a bit at the end as I'm trying to prevent the tears from spilling over.

Edward kisses my temple. "Don't worry, baby. We're gonna be just fine," he murmurs into my ear. I turn my head and look into his eyes. All I see there is sincerity and love. "At least we have a nice long weekend ahead of us," he finishes with a smile.

I nod and give him a peck on the lips. And when I turn back to face Alice, she's beaming at us.

He may have just won her over.

~XXXXX~

"How about a movie?" I ask Edward once we're in my room that night.

"You don't have a TV in here," he says, looking around like he might have missed it.

"Yeah, I just play them on my computer. We can see the monitor just fine from the bed."

"From the bed, huh?"

"Yeah," I reply with a smirk.

"Alright, a movie sounds good," he says as he plops down in my computer chair.

"Okay, let's see. I've got _Titanic_," I say, holding up the DVD case.

"Next."

"What's wrong with _Titanic_? Have you ever seen it?"

"Nope, and I don't plan to," he replies matter-of-factly.

"What? Why not?"

"I already know how it ends…the boat sinks," he says with a little shrug.

I just blink at him for a second.

"Well…yeah, but…"

"Next."

"Ugh, fine. How about _Robin Hood_?" I'm holding up the case with Kevin Costner on the cover.

"That'll work."

I start the movie, and we get settled into my bed, sitting propped up against the wall.

"So, Alice seems nice," Edward comments while the opening credits roll.

"Yeah. I think you won her over tonight at dinner."

"Won her over? She didn't like me before?" His forehead is creased with worry. He knows we're very close and probably doesn't want her to influence me when it comes to him.

"I wouldn't go that far. She was just kind of wary of how we met and doesn't want to see me get hurt, which is understandable."

He turns to look at me with seriousness in his eyes as he cups my jaw in his warm hands. "Bella, I promise I will _never_ intentionally hurt you."

My heart skips a beat. I completely believe him.

"I promise I won't ever intentionally hurt you either," I say back to him, because he shouldn't be the only one who has to make declarations and promises. No one wants to be hurt.

He leans down and plants a lingering kiss on my lips.

"Mmmmm."

Our kiss breaks when he smiles, and we go back to watching the movie for a bit. We've both seen it before, so it's not long before our hands start to wander and our mouths come back together.

Clothes are shed quickly, and Edward is lying on his back with me half on top of him. He tries to pull me over to straddle him, but I resist.

"What's" _kiss_ "the matter?" _kiss_

"Nothing." _kiss_

I start to roll to my back and try to pull him with me, but _he_ resists.

"I want you to ride me, baby," he whispers as he pulls me back to where we were and kisses me again.

"But I'm uh…not very good at that," I tell him timidly. That was the other reason I left him high and dry on the floor of the hotel room last night. I was hoping to avoid this conversation all together.

"Says who?"

"Um, it's not important."

I tried it with Mike a couple times, but he kept slipping out of me. He got so frustrated with me and just told me I suck at being on top. Needless to say, I'm a little gun-shy about it now.

"Well, why don't you let me be the judge of that," Edward says while running reassuring hands up and down my bare back.

I'm still very unsure of myself, but I reluctantly straddle his hips and rest my hands on his chest. I just sit there for a moment, gathering some courage as Edward caresses my legs and sides. When his hands move to my breasts and begin squeezing, I almost involuntarily start sliding back and forth on his erection that's sandwiched between us.

"_Yes," _he grits out. "Just do whatever feels good to you. Don't worry about anything else."

I raise myself up a little and reach down to line him up with me, because I'm ready to try. But I'm met with resistance, so I immediately release him.

"It's okay," he says breathlessly. "You won't hurt me."

_Really?_

It felt like I was going to break his dick off. I guess that's why it always points straight up to his chin. That's just the way he's built.

"Here, baby, lean forward and scoot up a bit," Edward says, grasping my butt as I move. "God, that _ass_…"

"You like?" I ask with a smirk.

"I love."

I smile and lean the rest of the way down to kiss him. He moves his hands to my hips and shifts me backward until I feel him at my entrance. Taking the hint, I slowly slide back onto him with a prolonged shudder.

_So good._

"Fucking tight," he groans. "_God_."

As easy as breathing, my hips begin to move back and forth on him. I start to sit up again, because that's just how I always saw it done in movies or whatever, but he holds me in place by wrapping his arms around my upper back.

"Just like that, baby," Edward murmurs as my hips continue to move. "Use my body to make yourself feel good."

And I do.

As I get more comfortable, I brace myself with my arms on either side of his head and start rolling my hips in a figure eight. His head tilts back as his eyes close, and little groans start making their way out of his mouth.

The way he's sliding in and out of me feels completely different in this position. I'm controlling the angle and the pace, and it's fucking incredible.

"You feel so good," he moans.

"Oh God, so do you," I breathe out.

I don't know if he's close, but I can't hold it anymore. My arms give out as I clamp down on him and muffle my cries of pleasure against his shoulder since Alice is home.

"I'm sorry," I mumble against his skin after my body stops quaking with my release.

"Mmmm, don't be. You're beautiful," he responds, planting a light kiss on my shoulder. "And whoever said you weren't good at that had no clue what the fuck they were talking about."

I'm still sprawled across his body, trying to recover from the intense orgasm I just had, and I smile against his shoulder. After giving me a moment, he grasps my hips and starts slowly thrusting up into me. When I begin to move with him, he whispers, "Stay still, baby," and continues to pump into me from underneath. I'm mewling and whimpering from the myriad of sensations I'm feeling all at once…

Large hands gripping my hips.

Powerful thighs flexing under my ass.

Silky strands of hair tangled around my fingers.

Light stubble scratching my cheek.

_Heaven._

A loud moan suddenly escapes me as Edward puts more power behind his thrusts.

"Shit!" I whisper-yell.

"What?" he asks breathlessly.

"I was trying to be quiet. I'm sure Alice heard that."

I know we had simultaneous sexcapades on my birthday, but it just feels different in our own place. Especially when we're both sober, and she's out there probably watching TV and knitting or some shit.

"I'm sure she'll understand, Bella," Edward replies in a strained voice as he continues to move within me.

"Yeah, you're right. Shutting up now."

"Good."

I reach up and pinch his nipple in retaliation. "Ass."

This causes him to growl and flip us over. "Oh you're in trouble now," he says menacingly.

I make my eyes as big and innocent as I can and blink up at him. "I am?"

"Don't think I don't remember what made you scream in our hotel room last night," he says with a raised brow.

My eyes go wide with panic just as I'm sure they darken impossibly with lust for this man who knows my body so well. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, but I would."

_Shit._

Edward sits back on his haunches and pulls my legs up just like he did last night. And just before he plunges back into me, he says, "I love you. Now, hold on tight."

_Sorry, Alice…_

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I hope to start hearing from more of you! I absolutely love hearing from my readers, and I always do my best to reply to reviews (as long as you have PMs enabled). So, if you have a question, ask away. I'll gladly answer what I can. If you just want to say you liked the chapter or tell me something didn't like, that's great too. Anything constructive is always appreciated! :)<strong>_  
><em>

**Story Rec: The Love Boat by twilly - Love, exciting and new. Come Aboard. We're expecting you. Love, life's sweetest reward. Let it flow, it floats back to you. Best friends, a childhood crush, a free cruise, and a ship full of swingers. - WIP. I've gotten to read bits and pieces of future chapters, and it is hilarious! Enjoy!  
><strong>


	11. Cookies & Band Camp

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. It's her world; I'm just visiting. No copyright infringement intended. Original content/plot is the property of the author. Plagiarism maims.**

Massive thanks as always to Nuttyginger, rosellebec, and twilly for their pre-reading and beta work on this! You ladies rock!

Any mistakes are all mine as I tend to tinker right up until I post.

***WARNING* - There is a _very_ brief mention of physical abuse in this chapter. Including this warning just in case.  
><strong>

***SPOILER ALERT* - If you haven't read or seen Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, then...I'm sorry. **

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

**BPOV**

Waking up next to Edward in my bed is surreal.

It takes me a moment to realize I'm not dreaming as I look at his beautiful face. He's so quiet in his sleep; I can barely even hear him breathing. His lips are puffed out in a little boyish pout, and as I watch him for a moment, they part and he lets out the cutest 'puhhh' sound as he exhales.

I smile adoringly at him, and that's when I realize he's the first man I've ever let into my bed in this way.

_Wow._

The few times I was with Mike, it was at his place, and there hasn't been anyone else except my drunken one-night stand on my birthday.

Warmth spreads through me as I realize I get to have a first with Edward after all.

We're lying facing each other with our hands joined in the middle of the bed and one of each of our feet touching. Laughter bubbles up inside me, and I'm just barely able to keep it in as I remember the night before…

"_Holy shit, I think I'm dead," I breathe out after we've collapsed in a pile of sweaty limbs._

_Edward's chuckle reverberates through my body. "Well that would be a shame. I'd miss those perfect tits," he remarks as he gives them a squeeze._

_I gasp. "Ass!"_

_He laughs again. "It's becoming increasingly clear to me that you're completely obsessed with my ass."_

"_No I'm not."_

Liar

"_Uh-huh, sure."_

"_You just _**are**_ an ass, and I feel it's my duty to remind you frequently."_

_And so the tickling begins…_

"_Stop, I can't breathe!"_

_He doesn't stop._

"_I'll stop as soon as you admit that you're obsessed with my ass."_

"_Never!" I grit out as I thrash underneath him._

_He's relentless in his assault, and I have a desperate need for oxygen. So…_

"_Okay! Okay…" He stops with raised eyebrows, keeping me trapped beneath him and his hands poised for attack in case he doesn't like what I have to say._

_Doing my best to keep a straight face, I continue. "Your ass is all I think about all day, every day. It consumes my every waking moment and some of my sleeping ones. It should be in the 'Ass Hall of Fame,' okay? Happy?"_

"_Meh, that'll do I guess." He releases me, and I bolt into the bathroom that's adjoined to my room. I can hear his laughter as I close and lock the door. I make sure the other door that leads to the hallway is also locked and step in front of the mirror._

Holy cow.

_My hair is a rat's nest, but I'm absolutely glowing. My skin is flushed, and my lips are almost a deep red. I touch my fingers to them lightly, reveling in Edward's sweet kisses. My eyes linger on the pink splotches on my collarbone where he's marked me as his, and I shiver._

I'm undeniably his.

_I saunter back into my room, still completely naked, after cleaning up and taking my pill – definitely couldn't forget _that.

"_Your turn," I say to Edward as I stop at the end of the bed._

"_I don't know. I think I like the view from right here," he says, looking up at me with a sexy smirk._

"_Come on, lazy." I haul him up and he loses his balance 'accidentally' on purpose, and our bodies come together for a moment. His hands quickly find my hips, and he pulls me even closer so that there's absolutely no space between us._

He's seriously going to kill me.

_I stifle my moan as he squeezes the flesh of my hips and instead whisper, "You know I want to, but I'm so ti-" The yawn finishes my thought appropriately._

"_It's okay. Let's get some sleep." He kisses me on the forehead and heads into the bathroom. While he's in there, I decide to at least throw on a t-shirt and some panties. Otherwise, I doubt we'll get any sleep tonight. _

_I'm lying on my side when Edward emerges from the bathroom in his underwear, and he crawls in behind me, molding his body to mine. The warmth and tingles that rush through me are out of control as his nose skims the side of my neck. I close my eyes and just enjoy the feel of him pressed against me.  
><em>

_After a few minutes though, I start to get uncomfortable. His arm is around my middle, and I can feel his warm breath on my neck. His leg hair is making me itch like crazy, and I'm getting hotter by the second. _

_And not the good kind of hot._

_It's funny. In movies and books, lovers always seem to fall asleep with their bodies intertwined or pressed together in some way, but… I'm pretty sure I won't be able to actually sleep like this. I'm hot-natured, and Edward's body is exuding even more heat than mine._

_I start to wriggle away from him, but he pulls me even closer._

"_I'm hot," I complain._

"_Mmm, I know you are," he says as his hands roam my body._

_I snort. "No, I mean I'm really hot. I don't think I can sleep like this. I'm sorry."_

"_Oh, thank God," he replies with relief as he releases me._

"_You weren't comfortable either?" I ask with a laugh._

"_No. I just know girls like to cuddle or whatever."_

"_Ah, well, I definitely enjoy it for a few minutes, but there's no way I can sleep like that."_

"_Good. Me neither. I like holding you too, but I'm pretty sure I was already starting to sweat a bit," Edward says with a chuckle._

"_Okay, I'm just going to move over here, but it doesn't mean I don't love you," I respond with a smile._

"_I love you too. Sleep well," he says before planting a soft kiss on my lips._

_As we settle in, our hands find each other in the middle, as do our feet, and I smile in contentment before drifting off to sleep._

I almost always wake up in the same position I fell asleep in, and apparently Edward's the same way. We also both like it to be cold in the room and have some white noise going, like a fan.

How is it possible that I found someone who likes the exact same sleeping conditions as I do? I guess it's just another example of how we seem to be perfect for each other.

I'm brought out of my musings when one green eye cracks open across from me.

"Mm, what time is it?" Edward asks groggily.

Gray light filters into the room through the blinds on my lone window.

"I'm not sure. I haven't been awake long, so I haven't checked."

He pulls on my hand that's in his to indicate that he wants me closer, and I easily oblige. Now, of course, I'm cold, so I snuggle into him and burrow my face into the crook of his neck.

"Mmmm, I could get used to this," he murmurs into my hair.

I smile against his skin. "Me too."

~XXXXX~

Breakfast with Alice is a tad awkward.

We're all trying to pretend she didn't hear me screaming last night, and my cheeks are getting redder by the second as I quietly eat my waffles.

Edward comes to the rescue and breaks the silence.

"So, Alice, what are you studying in school?"

_My hero._

"Oh!" She wipes her mouth and clears her throat lightly. "Fashion design."

"That sounds cool. Are you enjoying it so far?"

"Oh my God, yes! I love it! I'm really hoping to move to New York one day, and-"

As Alice continues to gush, I tune her out, mainly because I've heard everything she's saying already.

My mind begins to wander over the last two nights spent with Edward. It lands on all the intimate moments we've shared – every touch of his fingertips to my skin, every kiss planted on my body, every warm embrace.

_My cheeks are already red, so why not?_

I'm in my own little world as Alice continues to babble on.

Then, out of nowhere, a wave of sadness washes over me as it sinks in that I only have a couple of days left with Edward…and then what? We're just going to fly back and forth whenever we can afford it? That's not going to be very often. How will I cope with him being across the country after I've shared my body and soul with him?

_Shit, now I'm crying._

Luckily, I'm able to wipe the tears away without anyone noticing, because Edward is still considerately listening to Alice go on and on about her favorite fashion designers. It seems I'm the only one who's noticed the way his eyes have glazed over.

I decide to intervene. "Hey Alice?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you up to this weekend? Any plans?"

"Oh, yeah. I made plans with Angela to do some shopping today and go see a movie tonight. And uh, I'll probably just crash at her place," she finishes as she glances from me to Edward.

_Real smooth, Alice._

Angela is one of Alice's best friends, and she's also become a good friend of mine since I moved here. She's one of the sweetest people I've ever met.

"Oh, that'll be fun. Tell her I say hi."

"Oh, I will," she replies with a sly wink as she starts clearing plates. I know she's going to tell Angela everything, which I don't really mind. I think she'll be happy to know that things are going well between Edward and me.

_Very _well.

He leans over and whispers in my ear. "Thank you."

I giggle lightly. "No problem. She can get a little carried away at times."

"Yeah, but she's cool," he responds with a shrug. "And at least she knows what she wants to do with her life. I wish I had that."

"Yeah, me too," I say with a touch of sadness.

"Oh, hey, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to make you feel bad. I forget we're both kind of in the same boat with that."

"Yeah, I thought I had come up with something I might want to go back to school for a few months ago, but that idea was tossed out the window at Thanksgiving."

His eyebrows furrow together. "Huh? What were you thinking of doing?"

"I thought it would be cool to be a labor and delivery nurse. You know, bring new life into the world and all that? I thought I would really enjoy that."

"Oh, well yeah that could be cool. What made you toss that idea out?"

"Well, I couldn't even stick my hand up inside the turkey at Thanksgiving to get the innards out."

For a minute, he just stares at me. I can almost hear the gears turning in his head. When he realizes what I'm saying, his face transforms, and he starts laughing so hard, I think he might pass out.

"You-" He can't catch his breath."with the-" He makes an upward motion with his hand to indicate what he's trying to get out between wheezy laughs.

His laughter is contagious and I dissolve into hysterics right along with him.

I love these moments. We just have so much fun together. Becoming friends first the way we did, without introducing the physical side right away, really helped us establish a strong foundation. I just hope it can withstand the impending distance.

~XXXXX~

The next two days fly by in a haze of talking, kissing, laughing, and love-making. I've literally never been this happy in my entire life. I know the bubble will pop tomorrow afternoon, but right now I'm doing my best to live in the moment and enjoy this blissful time with Edward.

Alice has pretty much made herself scarce since she went to Angela's yesterday.

_Bless her._

Tonight, Edward and I can't get enough of each other. He's leaving tomorrow, and we don't really know when we'll be able to see each other again at this point. We come together as much as possible throughout the night, cherishing one another; catching our breath and sleeping in between.

We even try something I've never done before.

_No, not _that.

When Edward maneuvers me onto my hands and knees and gets behind me, I definitely hesitate. Mike tried this once, but I just didn't trust him back there.

Now Edward, I trust. His caressing hands and soft, reassuring words make me feel totally at ease.

_Another first._

I wasn't sure I would like this position, because it seems like the intimacy would be lost. I was always under the impression it was only used for rough fucking, but he's blowing that theory out of the water at this moment. The way he's touching me, so reverently - it takes my breath away. He's sliding his hands up my back, then back down to my ass, then under me, up to my breasts, making a circuit while keeping up a slow, steady rhythm with his hips.

We lock eyes in the mirror that's across from us, both sets heavy-lidded and burning with lust. Edward wraps his arms around my torso and brings us upright as he continues to move in me. Our bodies are so close, touching from legs to shoulders as he holds me, but all I want is to be even closer. My head lolls back onto his shoulder as my eyes close.

Edward's lips graze my ear as he whispers, "Watch, baby."

I lift my head and pry my eyes open. He's looking at me in the mirror like I'm the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. No one has ever looked at me like that.

I'm mesmerized by the way we move together as he plants soft kisses up and down my neck. His arms tighten around me as we climax together, and my name falls from his lips like a prayer.

_I'll never get enough of him._

We make love one final time in the morning. It's slow and passionate, our arms wrapped tightly around each other and our bodies pressed together so closely, I can't tell where he ends and I begin. Afterward, traitorous tears leak out of the corners of my eyes, sliding into my hair. When I sniffle quietly, Edward gives my neck a light kiss before lifting his head to look at me.

"I know, baby," he whispers as he uses his thumbs to wipe the tears away. I give him a watery smile, and he leans down to place lingering kisses on my lips. I want to live in this moment for the rest of my life. Edward wouldn't have to leave, and I wouldn't have to lose this feeling of complete and total contentment.

Instead, we get up and get ready to leave for our trip to Seattle.

~XXXXX~

"What are you doing?" Edward asks, looking at me like I've lost it.

I guess it's a valid question. Maybe only girls do this. I don't know.

"I'm trying to stretch these jeans back out a bit. They just came out of the dryer," I answer as I do another squat.

"Oookay. I'm ready when you are."

His bag is packed and by the door. I look at it and sigh before heading to the bathroom to finish getting ready.

We spend most of the drive quoting our favorite movies and just being goofballs in general.

It's the best.

When we arrive at Pike Place Market, I'm able to find a somewhat decent parking spot since M.L.K., Jr. Day isn't a holiday that everyone gets off for - just us bankers and government workers…and probably school children.

We walk along, hand in hand, looking at all the fresh seafood, gorgeous flowers, handmade crafts, and beautiful produce. The produce is one of my favorite things about this area. With all the rain we get, it all just seems to taste better.

We find a little booth that makes fresh crepes with different fillings. They have one with peaches and cream, which they fill with a giant fresh peach from one of the nearby produce stands.

It's probably the most heavenly thing I've ever eaten.

"Isn't that more like dessert than lunch?" Edward asks as he takes a bite of his ham and mozzarella crepe.

"I don't care. I had to have it. It _called_ to me," I reply before taking another delicious bite.

He chuckles and just stares at me for a moment with a grin on his face.

"What?" I ask, with my mouth full, of course.

"Nothing," he says, shaking his head slightly. "I just love you."

~XXXXX~

After we finish eating and watch the famous fish throwers for a bit, it's time for us to go to the airport.

I'm really not sure how I'll survive this.

We're both dragging our feet as we head inside the terminal. He checks in to get his boarding pass, and as he walks back toward me, I already feel the prickling behind my eyes. Once those tears start flowing, I know they won't stop.

Before I even say anything, Edward is trying to comfort me. My eyes are starting to water now. "It's going to be okay. We'll see each other again soon."

"I know. You're right. I just hate this."

He wraps his arms tightly around me, and I bury my face in his chest as the tears are unleashed. "Me too," he says while stroking my hair.

We stand there holding each other for who knows how long. His shirt is probably going to be soaked through, and I even hear a few quiet sniffles from above me.

When we finally break apart, Edward uses his thumbs to wipe away the remaining tears on my cheeks, but it's useless. They just continue to flow. Thankfully, the heaving sobs and hiccoughing haven't started yet.

I'll save that for later.

When I look at his face, I don't see any tears, but his eyes are red-rimmed and glassy. He cups my jaw in both of his large hands. "Listen to me. We're gonna be just fine, okay?" he says emphatically, like he's trying to convince both of us.

_Sniffle_ "Okay."

I try to shake it off and compose myself the best I can. It's not like I didn't know this was coming. I was somewhat prepared for it.

But that doesn't mean I have to like it.

This has to be the worst feeling I've ever had in my life. Worse than when my mom left. Worse than when I realized my dad had married a monster named Maria. Worse than all the times that monster put me down or hit me. Worse than finding out my mother never wanted me. Worse than my…

Just worse, worse, worse.

How am I going to let him just walk away, not knowing if or when I'll see him again?

"Bella?"

I attempt to answer, but my breath catches in my throat as I try not to hyperventilate.

"Bella. Are you all right? Shhhh. Calm down, sweetheart. Everything's going to be okay. I promise," Edward soothes as he pulls me back to him.

I've been made promises before, and they've rarely been kept.

I pull away from him a little. "How can you promise that? You live in Chicago, Edward. Chicago!" I yell like he doesn't know where he lives. "And I live here! How the hell is it going to be okay?"

_I might be freaking out._

He bends his knees just a bit until we're eye level. His hands are wrapped around my upper arms. "We'll figure it out together, okay? I love you. This was _not_ a one-time thing."

My pent up breath whooshes out of me, and I close the distance between us again, melting into him. He seems to know the right thing to say just when I need it most.

"And I don't live in Chicago. I live in Evanston."

"Ass," I mutter against him as I reach down and pinch it.

He jumps and laughs, which makes me laugh too.

"Better?"

"Better," I say with a smile.

"When I get home, I'll look at some dates for next month. Maybe you can come out to Illinois?"

_Next month._

God, that feels like a million years away.

"Okay. Maybe around President's Day. I'll have another long weekend then."

"Alright." He checks his watch. "I better get going, or I'll miss my flight."

I move my head up to rest on his shoulder. "I love you so much," I whisper in his ear.

"I love you too," Edward says into my hair as he squeezes me tight one last time.

We pull apart, and he slides his fingers into my hair at the nape of my neck. He cradles my head as he brings his lips to mine – once, twice, three times…I lose count eventually.

Tears leak out of my eyes again as he continues to kiss me like he's dying of thirst and I'm a…bottle of Gatorade...or something like that. I don't know. I can't really think straight right now.

I finally have to push him away, albeit gently. "Go, before I drag you back to my car and do dirty things to you."

"Oooh, I like that option," he says, then with a raised brow… "_Is_ that an option?"

I laugh. "Go!"

"Okay, okay," he says with a pout.

_God, that pout._

I pull Edward to me again by the front of his shirt and plant one more kiss on those perfect lips, because I just can't resist.

"Love you," he whispers against my lips.

"Love _you."_

As he walks away, I see him lift his glasses and swipe his fingers under his eyes a couple times. And that's how I know for sure that he's in this with me. He's not just blowing smoke.

_Smoke._

He didn't smoke at all today.

_Weird._

I'll have to ask him about that later. He's definitely not a chain smoker, but he's had a few every day since he's been here.

When I focus back on him, he's already through security. The line wasn't long, which is good because we stood here a little longer than we should have. But he'll still make it in time for boarding.

Edward turns and gives me a small wave once he has his jacket back on and his bag slung over his shoulder. I give him a half-smile and put my hand up.

And then he's gone.

And the blubbering can commence.

God, I should have had Alice come with us, just so she could drive me home. I'm a wreck.

I make it to my car, but then I just sit there and stare at the steering wheel until it's a complete blur. The tears are pouring out of my eyes, and I search frantically in the glove box for tissues. I really should have thought ahead and put some in there.

Eventually I make it back home. It's dark now, and the lights are on in our apartment, so I know Alice is home.

When I walk in, she's sitting on the couch watching TV. She turns her head toward me, and then suddenly she's running at me with her arms outstretched.

"Oh honey, are you okay?" she asks as she squeezes the life out of me.

"No," I respond pitifully.

"Here. Come sit down. I made cookies." She guides me over to the couch and runs into the kitchen.

Alice comes back a minute later with a glass of milk and a plate of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

"My favorite," I say with a watery smile.

"Yeah. I figured you'd be a little blue when you got back."

"That's an understatement," I retort; then realize I haven't thanked her. "Thank you, Alice. Really, this is great."

"Oh, it's no big deal. They're just cookies."

"Yeah, but it was really sweet of you to think of me like that," I say with a sniffle.

"Okay, stop it before you make me cry too."

"Sorry. I guess I'm just in a sappy mood right now. Maybe I need to watch a funny movie so I can snap out of it."

"Alright." Alice goes to the DVDs and holds one up.

I nod. "Sure."

Afterward, we're making up our own "this one time…at band camp…" stories and laughing our asses off.

"Thanks, cuz. I needed that." I give her a hug and we say goodnight before I head to my room to get ready for bed.

I can't go to sleep yet, because Edward's plane probably won't land for another hour or so.

I grab my Harry Potter book and lie down to wait for him to call.

~XXXXX~

Great, now I'm crying again. Clearly this was not a good choice. Why'd she have to kill Cedric off? What the hell did he ever do to anyone?

_Ugh._

On my way back from getting some tissues, my phone rings. I dive like a champ to grab it, but then I can't get it to flip open because I'm too excited.

"Hey," I say breathlessly once I'm finally able to open the damn thing. "Are you home?"

"No, not yet. On my way though."

We chat for a bit while Edward drives. I tell him about the cookies Alice made for me, and he tells me about the smelly guy he had to sit next to on the plane. We make each other laugh like we always do.

It almost feels like our whole weekend didn't happen at all - that everything is the same as it was before.

But it's not. Everything is different.

It's different because now I know the exact placement of each tiny mole on the back of his neck. And he knows I have a small oval-shaped birthmark on my left hip.

I know the sound he makes when I roll my hips a certain way while he's inside me. And he knows that when he sucks lightly on that spot right behind my ear, I'm putty in his hands.

Knowing these intimate little details about each other makes all the difference in the world. It's real now.

_We're _real now.

* * *

><p><strong>I cannot thank you all enough for your thoughtful reviews. I love hearing from you!<strong>

**Thank you so much as always for reading! Mwah!  
><strong>

**Story Rec: ****Fold Your Wings by jadalulu - I'm not sure if there's anyone out there who hasn't read or heard of this one, but it will absolutely rip you apart, in the best way possible. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the writing is incredible. Come talk to me after you've read the prologue... if you're still alive. jadalulufyw dot blogspot dot com (This story is not on ffn, but she does have others on here under that pen name.)**


	12. Zoo Animals

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. It's her world; I'm just visiting. No copyright infringement intended. Original content/plot is the property of the author. Plagiarism maims.**

Massive thanks as always to Nuttyginger, rosellebec, and twilly for their pre-reading and beta work on this! You ladies rock!

Any mistakes are all mine as I tend to tinker right up until I post.

**A/N: Sorry this is a day late! Hope you enjoy!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

**BPOV**

"Hang in there."

"Keep your chin up."

"Everything will work out."

"You're going to be fine."

I've heard it all in the past couple of weeks. I've even said some of them to myself here and there. I know I have a lot to be happy about. But it's _so_ hard to smile when a piece of my heart is on the other side of the country, and there's nothing I can do about it.

It's tough to describe what missing Edward is like.

The closest I can come to it is to compare him to this cappuccino crème brulee I had one time while I was on vacation.

_I know. I'm obsessed with dessert. Just go with it._

When the dish was presented to me, I took a moment to really look at it. The caramelized sugar, the beautiful garnish – it looked amazing. But then when I cracked through that sugar and got to the inside, it was even better. Smooth and rich, sweet and just a little bitter from the coffee. Delicious.

As I scraped the last remnants from the bottom of the dish, I remembered I was on vacation, and my heart sank. It was gone. When the server came to take it away, all I wanted to do was order another one, but I knew I couldn't do that. I knew I would most likely either never get to have it again, or at least have to wait a long time before I could. I didn't know of any other restaurant that served such a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

That's what this is like.

I want him more than anything in this world, and nothing could take his place. But the distance between us makes it impossible for me to have him right now.

Talking to him on the phone every day is great, and I love those conversations. But there are many moments when I'll just be going along with my day, and it hits me that I'm in love with someone who lives thousands of miles away. When that happens, the tears are hard to suppress.

Alice has been great. She's been good at distracting me with movies and makeovers, which can be fun when there's a theme. I think '80s night was my favorite. We watched a bunch of John Hughes movies and both ended up with huge hair and crazy bright makeup. It was a blast.

She also doesn't judge me when the distractions aren't enough, and I get all weepy. She lets me talk it out with her, which is just what I need sometimes. She seems to have gotten over any reservations she had about my relationship with Edward, which is a huge relief. I need my best friend now more than ever.

I finally found the courage to tell my dad about Edward about a week after he went back to Illinois. I figured it was time since Edward is going to be a big part of my life, hopefully for a very long time. Alice sat with me while I made the call and left when I gave her the thumbs up signaling that things were going okay.

Charlie's main concern, as always, was for my safety, so of course he did a criminal background check. Once that came back okay, he was fine with it. As I suspected, he understood more than some would, since he and Sue met online.

My mother was another story. When I told her about Edward and how we met, all I got back from her was rudeness and cynicism. I don't know why I even bothered. For once, I thought she might support me, even go so far as to be happy for me. After all that time I spent being single, you'd think she'd be excited that I found someone. I keep holding out hope that she'll act the way I think a mother should act, but she never does.

I don't know how Edward and I still find so much to talk about on a daily basis, but we never experience any awkward silences. We've also been having a lot more phone and cyber-sex since his visit. It's hard not to, now that we know how explosive our sexual chemistry is. Once one of us says something remotely dirty, there's no stopping it.

He finally convinced me to get a webcam, so we've been having some fun with that. After a particularly _stimulating _'session,' we both get dressed and come back to our computers to play a little Heroes of Might and Magic.

_What is it with us and 'Magic?'_

I get my headset on and start up the game so we can connect online. As we play, I start to absentmindedly vocalize along with the game's background music out of habit.

"Wow," Edward breathes out.

"Hmm?"

"I had no idea you could sing like that."

"Oh," I blush a little as I realize I was probably pretty loud. "Sorry. Is it bugging you?"

"No. Not at all. You have a beautiful voice."

My blush deepens and I duck my head even though he can't see me anymore now that our webcams are off.

"Thank you," I reply quietly. "I do love to sing. I was in choir all through high school and college. I really miss it sometimes."

"Well, don't let me stop you. Keep singing. I like it."

"I can't now that you pointed it out," I say with a light laugh.

He chuckles. "Fine, but I'm going to make you sing for me when you get here next month."

"Oh you are, huh? Exactly how are you going to _make_ me sing?"

"I have my ways," he replies confidently.

_I have no doubt._

**EPOV**

It's been four weeks since I got back from Washington.

Four. Fucking. Weeks.

Four weeks since I've touched her skin, kissed her lips, held her hand.

I miss Bella so much it physically hurts sometimes. That might make me sound like a pussy, but I don't give a shit. That girl owns me, fucking body and soul.

Thankfully, I convinced her to get a webcam, so at least I get to see her that way. I get to see her laugh and smile, and sometimes she flashes me a little boob, among other things. But it's just not the same. I want her with me all the time.

I want to know everything there is to know about Bella - what makes her laugh, what makes her cry. I've learned a lot already, but I always want more.

We did end up making plans for her to come around President's Day, which is this weekend. I can't fucking wait for her to get here. We're going to drive out to my parents' house on Saturday and spend the night. Mom is bursting at the seams with excitement.

I'm a little nervous, just because it's so early in our relationship. But we've done everything else fast, and it's worked out so far. 'If it's not broke, don't fix it' and all that jazz.

I've only ever brought one other girl home to meet them before, and it wasn't even really by choice.

I started dating Tanya my senior year of high school. She invited herself over one night for dinner. It wasn't long before I realized I should have said no. My mother couldn't stand her, and my mother likes everyone. Needless to say, we didn't last long.

I have no doubt my parents will love Bella. Mom will be asking me for grandchildren within a month, I guarantee it.

Today's Thursday, but Bella took a long weekend, and her plane lands around four o'clock this afternoon. We're burning up vacations days pretty quickly, which worries me. At this rate, I'll be out of them by April or May, and she's not much better off.

I finish straightening up my apartment and spray some air freshener. I imagine my apartment smells like "boy," or at least that's what Rosalie said the one and only time she came over.

I hope Bella likes apple cinnamon or whatever this shit is.

I take one last look around to make sure I haven't left any trash or dirty clothes anywhere before heading to my car to pick her up from the airport.

When I spot her in the baggage claim area, my heart jumps up into my throat. She starts running toward me, and I don't give a shit how cheesy we look. I've missed my girl so damn much.

I catch her in my arms and lift her off the ground a bit as I squeeze her to me. "Fuck, I missed you so much," I whisper in her ear.

Bella sniffles and nods. I guess she can't get any words out right now.

"Is this all you brought?" I ask after I release her, referring to her small carry-on bag.

"Yeah, I don't need much. It's only a few days."

_God, I love her._

I realize I'm staring at her lips long after she's finished speaking. I feel like they've been behind glass all this time, which I guess in a way they have, and now I don't know if I'm allowed to touch them. I watch as they get closer to me, and then she's kissing me, and I'm lost in her. It feels as if it's been a year since my lips have touched hers.

I crush her body to me and kiss her until I can't anymore, for lack of oxygen. I start kissing a path up her jaw toward her ear, and she whimpers. When my hands migrate to those beautiful breasts that I've missed so much, Bella's hands clamp down around my wrists.

"Uh, Edward?"

"Mm, what, baby?" My eyes are closed as I continue to plant light kisses on the sensitive spot behind her ear.

"We're uh, still in the airport," she replies breathlessly.

"Shit." I put a little distance between us and run a hand through my hair. I look around and see several people gawking at us like we're zoo animals.

Bella and I both blush and scurry out the automatic doors as fast as our feet can carry us. By the time we make it to my car though, we're both laughing our asses off.

"You should've seen your face," she says between chuckles.

"Oh shush, you evil temptress."

Once our laughter has died, the sexual tension in the car becomes stifling. The air around us is charged, and every time I glance over at Bella, I catch her looking at me out of the corner of her eye. I try my best to focus on the road, but she looks so damn good in her blue sweater and tight little jeans.

After a moment of indecision, I move my hand to her leg and gently squeeze. This makes her moan…fucking _moan._ Her hand covers mine and moves it higher up her thigh, closer to where it desperately wants to be.

I take direction well, so I move it the rest of the way and start rubbing her through the seam of her jeans.

She's pushing her hips against my hand for a minute, and then I feel her arm press against mine as it crosses over to massage the rapidly growing bulge in my jeans.

Luckily, by this time, we're not far from my apartment. Otherwise, I think this whole car would just combust at any second.

When I pull into a parking space, we both fumble with our seatbelts and get out of the car as fast as we can. I grab her bag and her hand, and we practically run to my front door.

As soon as the door is shut, I've got her pressed against it - this time without the head injury.

My abdominal muscles contract when her cool hands find my skin and move up under my t-shirt as she sucks and bites my lips. Once she helps me get my shirt off over my head, she pushes me away from her.

I'm confused for a moment, but Bella just looks at me hungrily for a second and then says, "Pants. Off."

_Yes ma'am._

I practically rip my jeans off, and as I hook my thumbs into the waistband of my underwear to remove them, she stops me.

"Wait!"

I halt my movement and look up at her in confusion.

"You wore them!" she exclaims.

_Ah, yes._

After my visit to Washington, Bella sent me a present for my birthday. Apparently, she wasn't all that impressed with my "tightie whities," as she called them. So I got a few pairs of black and navy Calvin Klein boxer briefs. She said Alice helped her pick them out, which was embarrassing as shit, but whatever. They're actually pretty comfortable now that I'm a little more used to them.

I never really cared much about my underwear. I just wore whatever Mom bought me growing up. She kept buying them for me for birthdays and Christmases, because she knew I would just wear what I had until they fell apart.

_Not the time to be thinking about your mom, dude._

Bella licks her lips and steps toward me. "I like them." She runs a fingertip along the waistband where it says Calvin Klein and then dips just inside as she continues. My stomach muscles jump with my stuttered breaths as her finger grazes the head of my dick on each pass.

Her tongue darts out to wet her bottom lip before sinking her teeth into it as she looks up at me from under her lashes. I can't take it anymore, so I grab both her wrists and pin them to the wall in the entryway.

"Stay," I all but growl before releasing her.

She gives me a smirk but keeps her arms above her head, and I lift her sweater off first. I remove her clothing one piece at a time, kissing every inch of newly exposed skin as I go.

She's _so_ soft. I love the little noises she makes when I brush particularly sensitive parts. Her whole body is trembling, and her breaths are coming in short little pants as I move lower and lower.

When I have her gloriously naked, she pushes against me again and walks me to the couch until the backs of my legs hit it. She drags my boxer briefs down my legs and shoves me down before quickly straddling my lap.

I'm beginning to really like aggressive Bella.

"Miss me?" she whispers against my lips.

She's already so wet, and her pussy is sitting right on my dick. There's no stopping the light thrusting movements my hips are making. I couldn't sit still right now if my life depended on it.

"Always."

With that, she lifts up and sinks down onto me. We both let out a shuddering exhale and wrap our arms around each other as tightly as possible. Bella lays sweet kisses on my left shoulder as her walls lightly squeeze my cock. And I let out a soft groan and run my hands up and down her back.

We stay like that for a minute, absorbing the moment of being connected again. At the risk of sounding like a girl, I mutter, "home" into her hair. There's no question that Bella feels like home to me, and I never want to let her go.

After a light kiss to my neck, she pulls back a bit to get more leverage to move. Her hands grip my shoulders as she begins to slide up and down my length.

_God, how did we go so long without this?_

My eyes keep drifting closed and my head lolls back a few times, but I force myself to snap out of it so I don't miss a single one of her facial expressions or a single bounce of those fucking perfect tits.

_Speaking of which…_

As her movements speed up, I move my hands from her waist and begin massaging her breasts and rolling her nipples between my fingers. Bella doesn't last long after that. Two more delicious rolls of her hips, and she launches her body forward against mine and cries out. I hold her close as she rhythmically clenches around me.

"That's it, baby. You come on my cock," I murmur by her ear.

"Oh, fuck," she whimpers as she continues to ride out her orgasm...or has another one. I'm not sure. Her pussy clenches and releases my dick so many times, I'm afraid I'll blow my load any second.

_I knew she liked dirty talk, but_ damn.

I'm glad she can't see my smug smile since she still has her cheek pressed against mine.

Bella's whole body slowly relaxes as she comes down from her climax, and she melts into me. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she was asleep. But her little aftershocks and quiet whimpers tell me otherwise.

My ego gets a little boost from the fact that she's so spent already, but I'm not done with her yet.

I maneuver Bella onto her back on the couch and just take a moment to look at her. She's so beautiful, and I almost can't believe she's really here with me. A lazy smile spreads across her face, but it's quickly replaced with a look of anticipation when I hitch one of her legs over my shoulder.

I reach down and grasp myself to line up with her entrance. Bella's eyes drift closed as I begin to ease back into her. All I want right now is to fuck her senseless, but I don't want this to end yet. So I pull back out and slide the swollen head of my dick slowly up through her folds and over her clit.

She gasps, and her hips jerk as her eyes fly back to mine. I fucking love how sensitive and responsive she is. I give her a wink before making the same path back down to her entrance, slipping just inside, and then back up over her clit. I stay there and rub over it a few times, causing her to arch her back and moan.

"Does that feel good, baby?"

"Yes," she breathes out.

After a few more passes, Bella's bucking and writhing, and I know I'm teasing her relentlessly. She's shaking her head from side to side and mumbling incoherently.

"Please," she whimpers.

I make one final pass over her swollen clit and then plunge back into her. Her back arches high as she cries out my name, and I still don't want it to end…ever.

"_Yes, yes, yes," _she chants breathlessly as I continue to thrust into her, going deeper and deeper until she's a panting mess beneath me.

I look down and watch myself disappear inside her over and over, and it's the fucking sexiest thing I've ever seen in my life. My dick is slick with her arousal, and I can _hear _how wet she is as I move in her.

Bella doesn't know what to do with her hands as they roam randomly from one spot to another, as if they're lost and confused. My hands are all over her, touching as much of her skin as I can reach.

_I'll never get enough of her._

Once we're both sated and reduced to a whimpering heap of sweat-slicked skin, Bella chuckles and says, "So…this is your place, huh?"

I laugh and peel my body from hers with a sucking sound. "Yep, what do you think?"

"So far…I like it," she responds with a wide smile.

~XXXXX~

We haul ourselves off the couch and retrieve our clothes, and I show Bella around a little so she'll know where everything is. My place is tiny, so this takes all of about thirty-five seconds.

I let her take a shower first. I really want to join her, but I think I might have worn her out already…at least for right now. So I behave and wait my turn.

I throw on some jeans after drying off from my shower and find Bella rummaging around in my kitchen drawers and cabinets. I love that she feels comfortable here already, but she does not look pleased at the moment.

"Okay, what's the deal with your kitchen?" she asks as I step onto the linoleum.

"Uh, what do you mean?"

Bella turns around and looks me up and down but doesn't answer right away. I smirk.

_See something you like?_

She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and shakes her head a bit before turning toward the dishwasher and opening it.

"Edward, seriously, you have nothing in your kitchen. I thought maybe your dishes were just dirty, but…one plate? Are you kidding?"

"Sorry. I just don't use dishes much. I usually eat frozen pizza or Ramen when I'm not eating fast food or something."

Her face scrunches up in disgust for a second before she continues.

"And your silverware? Do you seriously not own a knife?"

I shrug. "Never really needed one. A fork and a spoon have always been enough."

"Okay, so let me get this straight. You _seriously_ only have one plate, one bowl, one fork, and one spoon, and _nothing_ else?"

"Seriously," I say with a nod and a smirk. She's so fucking cute.

Total bewilderment takes over her features. She's in shock.

"Oh, wait!" I walk over to a cabinet and reach up to the top shelf. "I do have a frying pan. Does that help?"

Bella snatches it out of my hand. "Yeah. That's just great. I'll just make us fucking grilled cheese or some shit!"

"You mean toasted cheese?"

"What?"

"Toasted cheese sandwiches?"

"What the fuck are you saying?"

"I've always called them toasted cheese, and Mom always made them in the oven, not in a frying pan."

She drops the pan onto the stove and throws her hands up. "I guess we're going out."

As she starts to storm past me, I grab her around the middle to stop her. "Hey, hey, hey. Don't be mad."

She lets out a heavy breath. "I'm not mad. I just wanted to cook for you, and I was checking to see what you had to work with…which is nothing."

"I'm sorry, and I appreciate that, but I don't expect you to cook for me. Especially not on your first night here. I was planning to take you out tonight anyway."

Bella brings her hands up to rest on my bare chest and reaches up to kiss me softly. "Thank you. I'm sorry I flipped out a little there. I was just kind of in shock."

I chuckle. "I noticed."

"How did your mother let you move out with so little? From the way you talk about her, I figured your kitchen would be fully stocked."

"I did have a full set when I moved into the frat house, but the guys were always borrowing stuff and never returning it. This is what I was left with." I shrug. "It's been fine for me since I've been living alone, so I didn't see the point in spending money on more stuff."

"I guess that makes sense," Bella replies. "Let's get going then. I'm starving."

"Yeah, you really worked up an appetite earlier," I say with an exaggerated eyebrow waggle.

She snorts at me and shakes her head before heading to the bathroom to get ready to go. I'm pretty sure I hear her mutter "Ass" as she's walking away, and I smile.

When we get back from dinner, I decide it's time to implement the surprise I have for her. Valentine's Day is actually tomorrow, but I can't wait.

_Impatient fucker, remember?_

Bella goes to hang her coat up in my room, so I hurry and get set up. I turn on "Wonderful Tonight" by Eric Clapton, which is one of her favorites, and grab the gifts I bought for her before she comes back to the living room.

"What's all this?" she asks as she walks in from the hallway.

"Happy Valentine's Day," I say with a smile as I step toward her. "Will you dance with me?"

"Uh, I don't really know how to dance."

"Neither do I, but I thought it would be romantic…maybe. I don't know. Just humor me."

I take her hand and we step into an open part of the living room and start to sway to the music.

"See? This isn't so bad," I say with my cheek against her hair.

Bella nods. "Valentine's Day isn't until tomorrow, you know."

"I know."

"I feel like we're at a middle school dance," she says with a laugh.

"Yeah, well...I bet I wouldn't be able to get away with _this_ at a middle school dance." I reach down and squeeze her ass, bringing our hips together and grinding my erection against her.

_Yes, I'm a horndog._

I watch as blush creeps down from her cheeks to cover her neck and chest like we didn't just fuck like bunnies a few hours ago. "No, probably not."

"Or this." I bring my lips to that spot behind her earlobe. I pay extra special attention to that spot, because I know that's _the spot_ for her, as evidenced by her knees buckling slightly as I suck on the skin there. She's gripping my biceps to keep herself on her feet, or at least that's how I'm interpreting it.

"Well," she says breathlessly. "You might be able to get away with that one."

"Mmhmm," I mumble against her skin. Her breath hitches, and her grip on my arms tightens.

I make a path along her jawline, leaving light kisses and bring my lips to hers. It's hard not to kiss her every second, especially knowing our time together is limited.

When the song ends, I grab the presents I got for her. I've never had a girlfriend around Valentine's Day, so I just kind of took an educated guess.

I present her with the teddy bear first.

"Oh…that's…nice. Thanks," she says.

_Uh-oh._

"You don't like it?"

"Oh, no, I'm sorry. It's cute. I'm just not much of a stuffed animal kind of girl I guess. But it really is cute," she rushes to say when she sees my expression. I'm sure I look a little deflated, because that's how I feel right now.

"Shit. I knew that. I know you're not super girly. I should have thought of that. I'm sorry." I did know that, dammit. She got me a Led Zeppelin t-shirt for my birthday, which was perfect. Why couldn't I think of something perfect for _her?_

"Please don't be sorry. _I'm_ sorry for being an asshole. It really is sweet." She smiles and gives the bear a squeeze.

I snort. "You don't have to pretend to like it."

"I like it because it's from you," she says as she leans forward and plants a kiss on my cheek.

I know I'm wearing the goofiest grin right now, but I don't care.

"I love you," I say as I hand her the other present.

She gasps. "Edward! You shouldn't have gotten me jewelry. Are you kidding?"

_Shit. 0 for 2._

"You don't like jewelry either?"

"No. It's not that. I just don't want you spending money on me like that."

"Oh. Well I wanted to get you something nice. It's not diamonds or anything. Just open it."

Bella lifts the lid on the little velvet box and smiles. I let out the breath I was holding, relieved she seems to like it.

"Will you put it on me?"

"Sure," I say as she pulls her hair up to give me access to her neck.

I take the necklace out of the box and bring it around to clasp it, but evidently they put the tiniest fucking clasp in the world on this thing and my fingers can't seem to get a hold of it.

I growl after the fourth failed attempt and hear Bella giggle as her shoulders bounce up and down.

"Oh shush. This thing is fucking tiny!"

"Here," she says. "I'll do it."

Of course she gets it on the first try.

When she turns around, the tiny gold heart glints off her chest, and I smile. Bella brings her arms around my neck and brushes her lips against mine softly. "Now I have your heart," she whispers.

"You've had it all along."

* * *

><p><strong>*sigh*<strong>

**Story Rec - We Were Here by lola-pops - Upon waking, there's a brief, blissful period in which you don't yet recall the sins of the night before, but eventually, you have to open your eyes. I'm Bella Swan, seventeen years old, cheerleader. This morning I woke up in the wrong bed. - Angsty and amazing. If you're not reading this, drop everything and do it now! :)  
><strong>


	13. Booyah

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. It's her world; I'm just visiting. No copyright infringement intended. Original content/plot is the property of the author. Plagiarism blows.**

Massive thanks as always to Nuttyginger, rosellebec, and twilly for their pre-reading and beta work on this! You ladies rock!

Any mistakes are all mine as I tend to tinker right up until I post.

**Chapter 13**

**EPOV**

"Bella?" I look over and see she's still asleep, so I rub her thigh a little bit to see if she'll stir. "Bella, baby, wake up. I need to stop for a minute."

"Hmm?" Her eyelids flutter open and she squints over at me.

"I'm going to run in here and use the bathroom and get a drink. You want anything?"

"Peach tea Snapple," she says before immediately rolling to her side and going back to sleep.

_So fucking cute._

We're a little over half-way to my parents' house. Apparently, Bella isn't so good at the road tripping. She tends to fall asleep on long car rides. I cracked up laughing when she told me she was self-diagnosed with vehicular narcolepsy, but now I get it. She was out within minutes of leaving my apartment.

I lock her in the car and run inside the convenience store. I don't really feel comfortable with her safety in leaving her out there for long by herself while she's sleeping, so I rush to use the restroom and get our drinks.

When I slide back into the driver's seat, I can see a sliver of Bella's pale skin exposed on her side between her purple sweater and her jeans. I can't help the impulse I have to press her Snapple bottle against it.

I quickly pull it back as she reacts by opening her eyes, bolting upright, and gasping all at once. "Ass!"

"Stop sleeping. You need to entertain me," I say as I pull back onto the highway.

"Pffft. Entertain you? How the hell am I supposed to do that?"

"I don't know. You could…you know, _sing._" Since discovering her hidden talent, I've been trying to coax her into singing for me again, but I haven't had any success so far.

"No." She pulls the Snapple out of my hand. "Thanks for this. It's my favorite."

I laugh at her as she snuggles the bottle to her chest and mumbles, "tastes like sunshine" before passing back out.

I wake her again when we're near my parents' place. She sits up and pulls down the visor mirror to inspect her appearance. I glance over at her as she's smoothing down her hair and making sure her makeup is okay.

"Shit. I shouldn't have slept so long. I look like crap. Do I look like crap?"

"No. You look beautiful."

She rolls her eyes. "You're just saying that because you're my boyfriend. You didn't even look."

"Well, maybe I am a little biased, but that doesn't change the fact that you're beautiful. And I did look. You absolutely don't look like crap, so stop obsessing."

Bella flips the visor closed and sits back with a huff. "Fine, but if your mother doesn't like me, I'm blaming you."

"Trust me, she'll love you."

I look over again and catch a smile on her face as she turns to look out the window. I know she's nervous, but I keep telling her there's nothing to be nervous about. I really do think she'll fit right in.

Hopefully she won't be too overwhelmed since she's not meeting the whole family just yet - there are a lot of us if you include aunts, uncles, and cousins. Jasper's down in Texas, and Rose is still back in Chicago, so it'll just be Mom, Dad, and Kate. And probably Emmett. I doubt he'll pass up an opportunity to try to embarrass me.

As I make the right hand turn onto Platt road, I point to my left. "That's my grandparents' house there on the corner."

Bella leans forward to take a look. "Oh, cool. Will I get to meet them too?"

"Of course. If you want to, that is. I think Grandma's just as excited as Mom is, but I don't want you to feel overwhelmed."

"God, I hope I can live up to all these expectations."

I put my right hand on top of her left. "Just be yourself. You'll be fine."

We make the short drive to the end of the gravel road where my parents' modest house sits and pull up to the garage door. I see it raise at once and Mom comes out to greet us. Knowing her, she was probably waiting on pins and needles for us to get here.

"Oh, one more thing." I watch my mom get closer to the car and talk fast. "Don't tell my mom I smoke."

Before Bella can respond, I give her hand a squeeze and step out of the car. She stays in her seat for a second, probably calming her nerves, and slowly gets out as well.

"Hey, Mom." I quickly give her a hug. "This is Bella. Bella, my mom, Esme."

"It's so lovely to meet you, Bella." Mom's beaming.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Cullen." Bella sticks out her hand, but Mom steps forward and wraps her in a hug, telling her to call her Esme. Bella's eyes go a little wide, and she glances at me. I just give her an encouraging smile, and she awkwardly pats my mom on the back a couple times.

Bella's obviously very affectionate with me, but from some of the things she's told me, I'm assuming this kind of motherly affection is a little foreign to her.

We all head inside, and I introduce Bella to Dad and Kate before heading to my childhood bedroom to drop our bags. Bella follows me in and looks around at my old trophies lining a couple shelves on one wall.

"You ran track?"

"Yep, in high school."

"And played football?"

I chuckle. "Yep, in high school."

"God, no wonder," I hear her mutter.

"What?"

"Huh?"

"You said 'God, no wonder.' No wonder what?"

"Oh, nothing."

"You know I can get it out of you." I bring my hands up in prime tickle attack mode, and Bella smiles and squirms a bit even though I'm not even touching her.

"Fine. I was just thinking, no wonder you have that football player ass. You actually played football."

"Football player ass?"

"Yep. It's all round and firm and delicious." A subtle shudder runs through her, but I catch it. "I'm guessing it's from all the squats they make you guys do or something. I don't know," she finishes with a wave of her hand.

"I knew you were obsessed with my ass."

"Well, yeah. I thought we covered that already," Bella replies with a laugh. "How come you never mentioned playing football before? Do you miss it?"

"I don't know. I guess it never came up. It's nothing I had big aspirations to do in college or professionally or anything," I say with a shrug. "I had fun doing it, but I wouldn't say I really miss it."

"Did you ever get hurt?" Bella asks as she sits down on my bed. It's strange but awesome at the same time, having her in this bedroom where I grew up.

_Oh, the possibilities._

"I broke most of my fingers over the years."

She winces. "Ouch."

"Yeah, not fun." I sit next to her and place my hand on her thigh. She begins to trace my fingers and run her fingertips over them. I sigh in contentment. "I'm really glad you came here with me. I know it's got to be a little nerve-wracking to be meeting my family already. But they're really important to me, and you are too, so I just wanted to say thank you…you know, for coming here with me."

She puts her fingers over my lips and I kiss them. "You're rambling. And you're welcome. Thanks for inviting me." She removes her hand and leans in for a lingering kiss. "Now let's go eat whatever smells so damn good out there."

~XXXXX~

**BPOV**

I was a little apprehensive when Edward first asked me if I wanted to meet his family during this visit. He didn't pressure me at all, which I appreciated, but I could tell he was excited for me to meet them.

I didn't have the heart to say no.

Now I'm glad I didn't. His mother is great. She's everything I think of when I think of how a mother should be. Loving and supportive, constantly interacting with her family and preparing a delicious meal. Not that you have to know how to cook to be a good mom. I mean, my dad's no slouch in the kitchen. I can just tell that she feels the need to mother everyone, and it's a welcome change for me.

I watch as she makes sure everyone has what they need before seeing to herself. All I want to do is tell her to relax, but it's obvious that she's done things this way for a very long time.

As we eat, I sit back and listen to everyone talk. Edward is very animated, green eyes shining with excitement, telling Kate about one of his video games. He's obsessed with Morrowind even though it's been out for a while now. He had me try to play it once, but I totally sucked at it and gave up pretty quickly.

Kate's listening intently. I don't know if it's because she's actually interested or if she just adores her big brother so much that she'll listen to anything he says. I'm guessing it might be the latter.

I've noticed Carlisle doesn't talk much. He seems nice, just quiet. Esme waits on him hand and foot, which irks me a little; I haven't heard him thank her once. Again, it's probably just the way they've always done things.

"So, Bella," Esme says after she sits down from getting more salad for the table. "How was your flight in?"

"Oh," I say with my mouth full. I hold up my index finger while I chew. "Sorry. It was fine," I finish with a polite smile.

"Oh good. You're probably used to flying. I know Edward was a little nervous when he was flying out to Washington."

"Mom," Edward whines.

"Well you were. Probably for more than one reason," she says with a wink in my direction.

I look at her as she's smiling, and I can see so much of Edward in her. They have almost the same color hair - his is just a little darker. The same sparkling green eyes, same easy smile. She really is beautiful.

When dinner is over, I try to help clean up, but I'm told they have it covered. Instead, I watch Edward help with the dishes and interact with his mom and sister. You can really tell a lot about a guy by the way he interacts with the women in his family. He's definitely playful but respectful and loving at the same time, and watching them makes me feel warm all over. Especially when he throws a teasing wink my way when he catches me ogling his ass.

Everyone congregates back around the dining table after cleaning up. This must be the family hangout spot. It makes sense since there's not a whole lot of seating in their living room for some reason - just two recliners and a love seat.

Esme brings a deck of cards over and passes them to Carlisle to shuffle and deal.

"Oh," Edward says. "I forgot to tell you. We're going to teach you how to play Pitch."

"What the hell is Pitch?" I whisper out of the side of my mouth.

"Have you ever played Spades?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it's kind of like that, but the trump suit changes every hand, and the points are counted in a different way."

"So, not really like Spades at all," I deadpan.

"Just pay attention," he says with a laugh.

Carlisle and Edward explain the rules to me, and I _think_ I understand, but as we start to play, it's clear that I don't. Carlisle moves his chair next to mine and decides to help me. It's evident this is something he really enjoys doing. He becomes much more animated as he helps me bid each hand and tells me which card to throw on each trick.

By the end of the second game, I'm still a little confused by the point system, but otherwise, I think I'm getting it. This round, I'm playing with Esme as my partner, and we're against Edward and Kate. I end up having the right cards to set Edward and Kate, so they don't get their bid.

As I throw the card down that seals their fate, I stand up and yell, "Booyah! In. Your. Face!"

_I'm just a tad bit competitive._

As soon as I realize what I've done, my cheeks flush and I sit straight back down, dropping my face into my hands. I hear laughter on all sides of me, so I spread my fingers a bit and peek through them.

"No need to be embarrassed, dear," says Esme with a chuckle. "That was nothing compared to what I've seen around here. All my boys get so into this game. Even my father."

I drop my hands to my lap, but I'm afraid to look up. I just know Edward's going to be mad at me for acting so crass in front of his parents. He's sitting across from me, so I chance a glance at him, and thankfully, he's smiling at me.

"See?" Edward says as he looks around the table and bumps my foot with his. "I told you she'd fit right in around here."

His comment completely alleviates the tension I feel, and an emotion takes over that I can't quite pinpoint. I just know it feels amazing to know that he's talked to his family about me in that way. And thank God I didn't embarrass him. I guess he really meant it when he said to just be myself.

We play a few more rounds and I'm having so much fun. Everyone's laughing and cussing at each other. I'm kind of in awe of their family dynamic. I totally didn't expect this when I agreed to come here. My dad's so reserved, and Sue's pretty quiet herself. We never just sat and did things together like this. Dad was always watching sports, and Sue likes to read a lot.

I enjoy reading too, but I absolutely love playing games, whether it's card games, board games, obviously video games, whatever. It takes me a long time to get tired of it too, so when the Cullens and I end up playing for a few hours, I'm a happy camper.

It's getting late, so we decide to call it a night. As Edward and I settle into his small double bed, I realize I'm still smiling hugely. I really do feel like I fit in here.

~XXXXX~

_I'm lying on a chaise lounge by the pool, talking with Brad Pitt. You know, just a typical day around the mansion. We're discussing how weird it was for him to guest-star on Friends and have to hate on Rachel so much. I'm sipping a strawberry daiquiri, but it tastes like pineapple. I don't mind, because I love pineapple._

_Suddenly, Brad is next to my chaise with his hand on my leg. I didn't even see him move. He slides his hand to my inner thigh and begins moving up toward the promised land. My bikini bottom is moved to the side and I feel his warm fingers start to stroke my folds lightly. For some reason, I just lie back and close my eyes and let him continue. I squirm as one of his fingers enters me, and I suddenly realize he's married and this isn't right._

But when I open my eyes, it's pitch dark.

It takes me a second to realize that I just woke up from a dream…and I'm still being touched.

Edward is lying on his side, propped up on his elbow next to me, just watching my face as his hand continues its movement down below.

"Mmmmm."

"Good dream?"

I shrug. "It was okay. I like this better."

He smiles and leans down to kiss me and adds a second finger. I gasp into his mouth and open my legs wider for him.

As my mind becomes a little more alert, I remember where we are.

I place my hand on his to still it. "Edward, stop. We're at your parents' house."

He leans down to kiss my neck. "So?"

"So, I don't want them to hear us. Aside from the embarrassment, I don't want them to think I'm a total slut."

"Bella, they're not so naïve to think we haven't slept together. We're in our mid-twenties. It's not like we're teenagers."

As he speaks, he continues slowly sliding his long fingers in and out of me, and I start to forget why I'm objecting.

"I know, but-"

"Shhhh. Just let me make you feel good. Does that feel good?"

"So good," I whisper.

Edward's soft kisses to my neck continue, and I lean my head back to give him more access. Not just my head. My whole body opens up to him, arching toward him, wanting more.

He doesn't disappoint.

His mouth covers mine to swallow my moans as I clench and shudder around his fingers.

"Fuck, I love making you come."

"Mmmmm." I stretch like a lazy cat, and he chuckles at me and moves his lithe body on top of mine. More hot kisses lead to rubbing and thrusting, and remembering that we have such a limited amount of time together, I give in.

This old bed is creaky, so we decide it'll be quieter if I'm on top. I'm not sure if that's really true, but I know he loves this position, so I don't object. I'm becoming quite fond of it myself.

The reactions I get out of him are incredible. The best is when he can't stay still and just _has_ to thrust up into me. When his lips just _need_ to make contact with my skin and the closest thing is my arm that's braced by his head. When he can't keep his eyes open, and he starts to say, '_Oh my God_' over and over again.

The best.

After we both find our release, me twice, we snuggle for a few minutes before getting as far away from each other as possible. We worked up quite a bit of body heat in the last half hour.

"I love you," Edward mumbles, on the verge of sleep.

"I love you too," I reply as our hands join in the middle of the bed, as is our way. I drift off with a smile on my face and no longer have dreams of Brad Pitt.

~XXXXX~

The smell of bacon wakes me up in the morning.

_Mmm, bacon._

I reach over to snuggle in with Edward, but instead I'm met with cold sheets.

Disappointed, I get up and pull my hair back before wandering down the hall toward the delicious aromas in the kitchen.

Before I round the corner into the dining room, I hear my name and stop in my tracks. It's Edward's mother's voice.

"-with Bella?"

_With Bella what?_

I don't hear anything for a second and start to go on into the room, but then he speaks.

"I don't know, Mom. I haven't thought quite that far ahead yet," says Edward with a sigh.

My heart rate picks up a little bit. I don't know what exactly they're talking about, but he doesn't sound particularly happy.

"Well, you should talk to her about it," Esme replies.

"I will."

My mind immediately jumps to worst case scenario, and icy cold fear makes its way down my back. Tears well up in my eyes, and I turn on my heel and head into the bathroom.

"It's fine. Everything's fine," I say to myself in the mirror as a few tears spill over.

I brush my teeth and wash my face before going back out there. I don't stop at the corner before entering this time.

"Hey, you're up," Edward says as he stands up to give me a hug.

My body automatically relaxes into him. Edward-hugs are probably the best thing in the world.

He drops a kiss on top of my head before sitting back down. I take the seat next to him, but then realize I should offer to help Esme with breakfast.

"Oh, no sweetie. I have it all under control. You just relax."

I sit down next to Edward again and whisper in his ear, "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

"Well, I kissed your cheek and talked to you, but you didn't budge, so I just decided to leave you be. I would have come to wake you up as soon as breakfast was ready, but I guess the smell did that for me," he says with a wink.

"It does smell delicious. Who needs coffee when there's bacon?" I respond with a smile.

He's acting totally normal, so I'm trying to push my worries to the back of my mind. I know I'm going to go crazy though, thinking about what he might need to talk to me about.

Edward and Kate begin setting the table when someone walks in through the front door without even knocking.

He's got dark hair, blue eyes, and some killer dimples. He's a little taller than Edward and much beefier. The dude is huge.

_Must be Emmett. _

"Morning, campers!" he shouts as he walks into the dining area.

"Hey, Em," says Edward as he goes in for the bro hug.

Kate sets the plates down that she's carrying and goes over to hug him as well. When he wraps his arms around her and lifts her off the floor, she squeals and laughs, and I can't help but smile.

Emmett spots me over Kate's shoulder and immediately sets her on her feet and comes my way.

"You must be Bella!"

Before I can respond, he's lifted me up into his burly arms.

"Jesus, Em. Would you put her the fuck down? She doesn't even know you," says Edward, nostrils flaring.

"Sorry," Emmett says as he releases me. "I'm just excited to meet Eddie's girl."

I peek around Emmett and mouth, "Eddie?" to Edward, and he just shakes his head. I giggle.

"If you haven't figured it out, this oaf is my best friend, Emmett. Emmett, this is Bella."

"It's nice to meet you, Emmett." I hold my hand out to shake his, but he takes it and kisses the back of it instead.

Edward groans, and I giggle again. Those dimples really are killer.

"So how are you liking Georgetown so far?" Emmett asks me while piling a mountain of scrambled eggs onto his plate.

_He is _so_ Joey Tribbiani._

"Well, I haven't seen much of it yet, but so far I'm having a great time."

Esme beams at me, and I return her smile. I truly am having a good time here. Apart from wondering what Edward and his mom were discussing this morning, the visit has been really nice. They're in a semi-rural area, so it's quiet. There are quite a few houses around, but the surrounding area consists mostly of hills and fields. It seems like a beautiful place to grow up.

Edward's family has been nothing but welcoming. I loved playing cards and all the fun we had last night together. My sarcasm has always been a little lost on my dad, so it was great to be able to unleash it and have it met with laughter or return fire.

As we eat, I mostly listen to everyone talk and laugh. I have to admit I'm a little bit jealous of Carlisle and Esme's children getting to grow up like this. It's something I longed for as a child: fun family dinners, open discussions - just plain togetherness.

It feels like a home.

Emmett is fucking hilarious. He's a fireman here in Georgetown, and I'm laughing hysterically as he tells us a story about trying to rescue a cat from a tree. Apparently, it was pretty high up, and as soon as he finally got to it, the fucker jumped down through the branches and ran away.

Edward looks over at me with a smile that makes the corners of his eyes crinkle as my laughter is dying down. Actually he's kind of staring.

"What?"

"Nothing." He leans over and kisses my temple and goes back to eating, but not before resting his left hand on my leg. Heat spreads from that spot through my entire body.

I'm beginning to think Edward likes having me here in the house where he grew up. And I'm liking it more and more myself.

~XXXXX~

After breakfast, I go into the one and only bathroom in the house to take a bath. Apparently the shower hasn't worked for years. Carlisle and Esme built this house when they first got married and have lived here ever since. I have no idea how six people shared one bathroom for all those years. What a nightmare.

As I'm bathing, I spot something black on my thigh. Upon closer inspection, I realize it's a tick. _A tick!_ I've never gotten a tick in my entire life. I'm here twelve hours and now I'm breakfast for this damn thing?

I get out of the tub and pick it off, but I'm not sure what to do with it, so I just flush it down the toilet.

_Yuck._

When I go back into Edward's room, he's sitting on the bed messing with his cell phone. I go about getting dressed, and as I'm sliding my jeans on, he says, "Don't move."

I freeze. "Huh?"

"You've got something on your ear. Just stay still for a second."

My entire body starts to itch at that moment just because I know I can't scratch anything...and because there's _something_ on my ear, but I have no idea what it is. A piece of lint? A spider? _What_?

_Oh God in Heaven, please don't let it be a spider._

Edward comes around the bed, and I feel his fingertips on the top of my ear. "Got it. It's just a tick."

"Another one? Are you freaking kidding me?"

"What do you mean another one?"

"I found one on my leg when I was in the bathtub! What the hell? I haven't even really been outside since we've been here."

He smirks at me. "Fresh meat."

I just roll my eyes at him and continue to get dressed. I'm not so sure about this place after all. Getting attacked by ticks might be my limit.

After I'm dressed and ready, Edward and I leave to go down the road to visit his grandparents. My nerves start to make their presence known again as Edward knocks on the door to their house.

"Well hi there, you two," his grandmother says after opening the door. "Come on in out of the cold."

She briefly touches my back as I walk in, and even though it's just a small gesture, it warms me.

We have to walk through the kitchen to get to their living room. As I'm walking through, something in the sink catches my eye. All I can tell for sure is that it's pink...whatever it is.

I take a closer look and then pull on the back of Edward's shirt to stop him. "Oh my God, what the hell is that?" I whisper-yell.

Edward looks over and starts laughing. "Squirrels," he says.

"Squirrels? As in tree rats?"

"Yep."

"What are they doing in the sink? And _where_ is their skin?" My eyes are probably bulging out of my head. There are at least a half dozen skinned squirrels piled up in the sink, covered in water. I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around this.

Edward's still chuckling at me. "My grandpa hunts them. Grandma makes a stew with them."

"They _eat_ them?" I'm sure my disgust is plain on my face.

"Yeah. Squirrel's tasty."

"Oh my God. Gross."

"Tastes like rabbit," he remarks.

"Rabbit? You eat rabbit too? How did I not know this about you?"

"I don't know. It never came up, I guess. My dad and grandpa both like to hunt, so we eat all kinds of things around here. Dad actually used to raise rabbits for meat. I've helped him butcher them before."

"But rabbits are so cute. With their little floppy ears and cute little noses. How can you just kill them?"

"It's the country, Bella. Things are just different here. It's not that big of a deal. Although, Kate got pretty upset when she named one of them Fluffy and Jasper had to go and say we were having "Fluffy" stew one night. Mom wasn't very happy with him."

"I would bet not."

Edward presses his hand to the small of my back to continue through to the living room, but I stop again.

"You don't like to hunt, do you?"

He chuckles. "No. I never got into it. Helping Dad with the rabbits was pretty much the extent of it for me. I'd much rather shoot at digital targets on my TV," he finishes with a wink.

"Oh, thank God," I breathe out.

I'm learning a lot of new things about Edward this weekend. It's really great seeing this side of him with his family, but some of it's definitely a little surprising. I'm so glad he's not into hunting. I'm not sure I could stomach him bringing dead deer or squirrels or whatever else into the house if we ever end up moving in together.

I push that thought aside for the moment. We haven't discussed big future plans like that yet. I've been thinking about bringing it up, because really, if neither of us is willing to move, then this isn't going to work out. I've been scared to mention it, because I absolutely love Washington, and I'm not ready to hear him tell me he's not willing to move.

Edward's grandparents are lovely. Esme looks a lot like her dad and has a lot of his personality traits as well. Mrs. Platt is a little bit…different. She's definitely not afraid to tell you what's what, but I get the feeling her comments aren't always appreciated. She's sweet to me though, so I have no reason to dislike her.

I have to contain my laughter when she insists on feeding us even though we're not hungry; she won't take no for an answer. It seems like something you'd see a grandmother do on a sitcom, not in real life, and I find it pretty hilarious. Edward must be used to it, because he just wolfs down what she gives him and tells her it's delicious.

Just before we get into the car to go back up the road to Edward's parents' house, I glance over at the street sign on the corner.

"Platt Road? As in your grandparents' last name?"

"Oh, yeah. There are a lot of Platts in this area, but Mom's parents were the first ones to build here when it was all mostly open land."

"Wow, that's so cool," I say with a big smile.

Edward just laughs and slides into the car. "Yeah, like I said, things are pretty different out here in the country. People can just name roads after themselves willy-nilly."

I snort. "Did you just say 'willy-nilly'?

"Yep, I guess I did," he responds with a smirk.

"Oh, man," I say with a laugh. "You're such a dork. "

"Yeah, but you love me and my dorkiness."

"That I do."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: ****Thank you all so very much for the lovely reviews and for sticking with me!**

**I had a reviewer ask if all I rec is angst, so this one is definitely NOT angsty! ;) **

**Story Rec: *edited because the one I had here was pulled from ffn* From Geek to Chic by MrsK81 - **Convinced she was headed to permanent residency in Loserville, Bella Swan would have done anything to fit in with the popular crowd. What if she was presented with an opportunity to do just that? Would she take it happily or would she stop and think about the person she was leaving behind? Inspired by 13 going on 30. Romance, drama, humor and a little bit of everything. - **WIP Loving this so far! So much fun :)****  
><strong>


	14. Credentials

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. It's her world; I'm just visiting. No copyright infringement intended. Original content/plot is the property of the author. Plagiarism blows.**

Massive thanks as always to Nuttyginger, rosellebec, and twilly for their pre-reading and beta work on this! You ladies rock!

Any mistakes are all mine as I tend to tinker right up until I post.

**A/N: *taps mic* Anyone still out there? For anyone reading this, thank you so much for your patience and understanding. Thank you so very much for reading, and I hope you enjoy! (If you go back to re-read and refresh your memory, you may notice some minor edits here and there.)**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 14 - Credentials<strong>

**BPOV**

Edward's shower.

Bare back pressed against cool tile.

Hungry lips skimming my neck.

Long fingers rolling my nipples.

A noise rumbles out from him, and he murmurs, "Nope. Not here."

"Wha-"

Edward cuts me off with a small shake of his head and, "Shhh. I'm very busy."

I pull a face that he can't see but don't say anything else for the time being. My hands continue to roam his strong back and shoulders as the warm spray hits his body.

His soft lips travel up to my ear and kiss around the shell. "All clear here."

_What the hell is he talking about?_

Back down to my neck, traveling lower, he pauses at my collarbone. "This looks good."

Edward drags his mouth up to my left shoulder and mumbles against the skin there, but this time I don't quite make out what he said. It sounded like, "muffin to she here," but um… I have no idea what that means.

I hate to interrupt whatever it is he's doing, but the things he's saying are confusing the crap out of me and distracting me from the fact that his sexy mouth and hands are all over my body.

"Okay, seriously. What am I missing here?"

Edward pulls back to look me in the eye. "Tick inspection. Very serious business."

I smirk and snort at the same time, skimming my hands down to his ass for a good squeeze. "By all means then."

His green eyes twinkle with mischief as he resumes his excruciatingly slow exploration of my body, uttering assurances along the way that my skin is free of the filthy, little blood-suckers.

He pays special attention to certain parts, of course. Edward quadruple-checks my clit with his fingers…and quadruple-checks it again.

He's very thorough.

I'm writhing and moaning now, and he's continuing to torture me, never quite letting me fall into oblivion.

"You know," I pant. "You never did show me… _ungh..._your credentials. How…_oh, God_…how do I know you're qualified for such an important…_mmmm_…task?"

I'm spun around, and Edward's large hands grip my hips. "Credentials?" he spits.

"_Fuck!" _I cry out as he plunges his cock into me without warning.

"Satisfied?" he grits out as my walls squeeze him and his hips flex against my ass.

I regain my bearings a tiny bit and push back into him. "Not yet."

Edward rears back and slams into me, grunting as he sets a furious pace, almost lifting my feet off the shower floor. He's demanding and impatient, and I'm loving every second of it.

My breasts are smashed against the shower wall, my back arched almost painfully so I can take more of him in. My orgasm is fast approaching, but I'm trying to hold it off and make him work for it a bit. I feel the need to get back at him for the torture his little "inspection" has inflicted upon me.

Just then, Edward yelps and abruptly pulls out of me. I'm livid until I feel ice cold water pelting my upper back.

"_Shit__!" _I shriek.

"Sorry!" He turns the knobs, and the showerhead ceases its assault on us.

I get out and wrap a towel around myself as quickly as possible. Edward follows and begins to dry himself off.

_Great._ Now I'm pissed off, horny, shivering, and wholly unsatisfied.

I scowl at Edward's back as he scrubs the towel through his hair, making it even more riotous than usual. But then the logical side of my brain kicks in, and of course I know it's not his fault. The blissful torment he subjected me to did last a while, and it _did_ cause us to run out of hot water, but… Edward turns back toward me, and I lick my lips when I see he's still hard as a rock.

Edward regards me cautiously as I step toward him. He knows I'm not exactly used to delayed gratification. His eyes fall shut as I run a finger up the underside of his shaft, and he takes a deep breath before looking at me again. One long finger hooks into the top of my towel, and it's on the floor at my feet in an instant.

Lean, muscular arms wrap around me as Edward walks me backward and lifts me onto the counter, leaning forward to kiss me.

I place my hand on his chest and push him back, hopping down but making sure to slide my naked body along his to let him know I'm not stopping this. I just want to continue what was happening in the shower.

Because it was mind-blowing.

His eyes are curious but full of lust as I look up at him. "I've never been…_fucked_ like that…from behind_._"

Edward runs a hand through his damp hair, making it stand up in all directions, and responds in a rush of words. "Shit, I'm sorry. I should have asked you if that was okay. You're just so fucking sexy, and I got so worked up, and I didn't even think about that, and…shit. I didn't…_hurt_ you, did I?"

I smile at his sweet rambling and shake my head before turning around and pressing my ass into his still prominent erection. "No," I reassure him, looking back over my shoulder. "I liked it. A lot more than I thought I would."

Edward's flirtatious smirk mirrors mine as his hands grip my hips again and pull me impossibly closer. He dips his head down and murmurs, "good" against my shoulder.

My hand finds its way into his messy hair, and I scratch my nails over his scalp as he lays light kisses on my shoulder and up the side of my neck. A rush of tingles overtakes my body, his hands gliding over my skin, up to cup my breasts. As he gives them a firm squeeze, my back arches in pleasure.

"Fuck, Bella," he mumbles as his cock twitches against my ass.

"Yes…_please_."

I was never so vocal about what I wanted during sex before Edward, but he makes me feel completely comfortable.

He moves away from me a bit, which confuses me for a moment. But then I feel a warm hand on my upper back, gently pushing me forward so that I'm bent over the counter, my nipples just barely grazing the smooth surface.

My body is buzzing with anticipation as his strong hands caress me in what could only be read as appreciation. They slide up my back to my shoulders, where he pauses to move my wet hair off to one side, and then make a scorching path back down to my ass, which he gives a firm squeeze and grunts in satisfaction.

_Seriously. Killing me._

Edward leans over me and drops a hot kiss on the back of my neck before sliding back into me.

A loud sigh of relief comes out of me and echoes in the small room. A dark chuckle sounds from behind me before Edward slides back and slams back in.

"Aaaah!"

"_Fuck_, baby. Always so good," he grounds out. He mumbles something else that sounds like, "never get enough," and I smile down at the countertop.

My smile quickly fades as my mouth hangs open to release panting breaths and groans as he sets a punishing rhythm.

His hands are gripping my hips so hard, he's bound to leave bruises, but I couldn't care less at this moment.

My hands are braced on the mirror in front of my head so that I can push back against him and keep my hips from being pounded into the edge of the counter.

"_Fuck, fuck, fuck,"_ he says as my walls begin to flutter around him. "You gonna come, baby?"

"Ungh, hmm," is all I can manage.

"I'm gonna come in your pussy so hard, Bella…_fffuck."_

_God, I love his dirty mouth._

Edward's hips slap against my ass relentlessly, again demanding, taking what he wants from my body. My orgasm just continues to build upon itself until I'm releasing sounds that could only be described as high-pitched wails.

"_Yeah,_ you fucking _sing_ for me, baby." _Thrust_ "So." _Thrust _"Fucking." _Thrust _"Good." _Thrust_

His hips drive forward one final time, and he finds his release with a loud groan, pulsing deeply inside me.

My upper body collapses onto the countertop, and my knees buckle as I clamp down on him harder than ever before, almost forcing him out of me.

"Oh, my _God,_" I manage to say after catching my breath for a moment, still bent in half over the bathroom counter.

"You okay?" he asks with his lips pressed to my upper back. So sweet. Such a contradiction from the way he just fucked me.

"Okay? No," I answer with a laugh. "I'm definitely not okay." Before he can worry, I continue. "I'm perfect….dead, but perfect."

* * *

><p>Edward and I have been lying on his couch since we left the bathroom, a somber mood settling over us. We're facing another separation tomorrow. We got back from visiting his parents later than we planned, and I don't think either of us wants this night to end. There's an infomercial for some workout program on the TV at which we're both staring blankly. I'm not sure where Edward's head is, but my mind is all over the place, thinking about where we go from here.<p>

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

"Um... I'm just..."

He turns me to face him with worried eyes. "What is it?"

There are a million things I want to ask him. _Why do we have to live so far apart? What were you and your mom talking about in the kitchen? Do you really love me the same way I love you? __**Where**__ do we go from here?_

Tears well up in my eyes, like all my questions building up, wanting to pour out. "I'm just really going to miss you."

Edward wipes the couple of tears that do spill over with his thumb. "I'm going to miss you too. So much. Please don't cry."

I break my gaze away from his face and look at his chest, like I'll somehow find my courage there. It doesn't quite work, but I do ask, "So, what's next? When will we see each other again?"

Edward sighs, and my heart sinks. "I honestly don't know. I know I can't afford to fly to Washington again next month, and I can't take the time off that I'd need to drive there." Another sigh. Frustrated. "My mom did offer to help with my ticket last time, but I didn't take her up on it. I hate asking them for money. It's not like they're rolling in it, with two kids in college and one still in high school." He takes my hands in his and holds them to his chest. "What about you? Would you be able to come back out here again soon?"

He looks so hopeful, it breaks my heart. I shake my head. "I don't think so. Not unless I use a credit card. And I guess that wouldn't be the worst thing, but how long can we keep doing that? I can't rack up a mountain of debt, and I wouldn't want you to either." More tears fall.

"We'll figure it out, baby. _Please_, don't cry." He wipes more tears away and pulls my head into his chest, wrapping his strong arms tightly around me. I'm completely enveloped by him. He smells like soap and clean cotton and boy, and I hate how quickly our time together just vanishes.

* * *

><p><strong>EPOV<strong>

I knew this would happen. Of course I knew. Neither one of us makes very much money, and we couldn't keep doing this forever with the amount of distance that's between us. But we've only had two visits. Two.

Is that enough to know everything you need to know about someone? No, of course not. I guess you never really know everything about someone. At least not until you've lived together for a long time. Maybe then.

But we can't live together. Can we? It's got to be too soon. My mom asked me about it this morning while Bella was still sleeping. Well, she asked me if I was planning to move away, perhaps to live with Bella or at least near her. I told her I hadn't really thought that far ahead, but the truth is, I've thought about a lot of things regarding my future with Bella. I just hadn't thought about putting any of them into action yet. Mom's right though. We obviously need to talk about it.

But right now I just want to hold her in my arms and enjoy the feel of her body pressed against mine for these last precious hours that we have together.

I feel like I should lighten the mood and try to make her laugh. I'm not always comfortable talking about heavy stuff, at least not in person. It's easier when we're on the phone or in chat. I suspect it's like that for a lot of people, but maybe it's just me.

"So...I accomplished my goal for this visit," I say to the top of Bella's head.

She pulls back to look up at me with her eyebrows raised. "Oh yeah? And what was that?"

"I got you to sing for me." I waggle my eyebrows.

Bella snorts. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever you say."

I pinch her side.

"Ass."

I laugh and so does she, finally, and things are good again. At least until tomorrow.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you again for reading! This was a fairly short, transitional chapter, but a lot happening next chapter! **

**Story Rec: Good Deal by m7707 - Bella Swan hates Rosalie Hale. Her idea of revenge? Sleeping with the Ice Queen's boyfriend, Edward Cullen. AH, very OOC, very rated M. ~ **Complete. Another of my all time favorites! And not angsty ;)


	15. The Wrong Reasons

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. It's her world; I'm just visiting. No copyright infringement intended. Original content/plot is the property of the author. Plagiarism blows.**

Huge thanks to Nuttyginger, twilly, rosellebec, and mrsm0803 for their pre-reading and beta work on this! You ladies rock!

Any mistakes are all mine as I tend to tinker right up until I post.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15 - The Wrong Reasons<strong>

**BPOV**

If I thought watching Edward walk away from me last time was hard, it was nothing compared to being the one who had to walk away and get on that plane. I'm not sure how I did it. The magnetic pull between us was tugging at me incessantly to just turn back around and stay forever.

The poor guy who sat next to me on the flight back to Washington was obviously uncomfortable with my blubbering. He pretended to sleep most of the way while I shook and sniffled and stared out the window.

It's only been five days since I got home, but with no next visit in sight, I'm having a tough time with this whole thing. Is it worth all this heartache? Have we just completely set ourselves up for failure?

I definitely feel like Edward is worth it. He's not perfect. I've gotten to know him more and more, and he has flaws just like everyone else. But he might just be perfect for _me,_ and isn't that what everyone longs for?

If you wait for the perfect guy and the perfect situation, aren't you just going to be waiting forever?

My bed suddenly dips, and arms wrap around me from behind and squeeze, bringing me out of my downward-spiraling thoughts. "Come on, sleepyhead. Let's go do something today. I hate seeing you like this," Alice says.

As soon as I got off my short, Saturday shift at the bank this morning, I came straight home and took a nap.

All this moping is exhausting.

Alice has been trying to get me to go out and do something fun every night this week, but I've shot her down each time. She's a persistent little thing, which I can appreciate. I'd probably hate it if she gave up on me all together.

I let out a heavy sigh but start to get up. "All right. Give me a few minutes to get changed and tame the rat's nest."

"Yes!" Alice fist-pumps.

She actually fist-pumps.

I chuckle lightly at her and, with great reluctance, remove Edward's Led Zeppelin t-shirt – the same t-shirt I've been sleeping in ever since I got back from Illinois. It's starting to smell like me instead of him, and it pisses me off.

* * *

><p>"The mall? Seriously? How is this supposed to cheer me up?" I ask as Alice pulls into the parking lot in front of Macy's.<p>

"Bella, they're having a huge sale, and it's almost March. I need to start on my Spring wardrobe, like _now_."

_Oy._

"Ugh. Fine, but you're buying me an Orange Julius and taking me to a movie afterward."

"Deal."

Alice has disappeared into a dressing room with a mountain of clothing, so I'm trying to keep busy by browsing the lingerie. I should've brought a book or something, but I didn't exactly foresee this situation. Maybe I can make the best of it and find something nice for the next time Edward and I are able to get together. If that ever even happens.

_God, I'm morose. I'm even annoying myself at this point._

I've just plucked a baby pink and black bra and panty set from the rack when a presence behind me suddenly makes the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I whirl around to find James, the creeper, seriously invading my personal space.

"Did you just...smell my hair?"

"It smells like sunshine," he replies in a dreamy voice.

"James..." My tone implies that he needs to back the fuck away before I start yelling for help.

"How are you, Bella? You look tired." He reaches a hand toward my face, but I rear back a bit, and thankfully he takes the hint.

"I'm, uh, fine," I lie. Port Angeles isn't a huge city. I've seen bank customers out and about before, but this doesn't feel coincidental at all. And I'm not fine. Not by a long shot.

I know Alice will be a while. She stopped modeling things for me long ago when she discovered that I was no help at all with my, "it looks great" response to everything.

On top of that, the lingerie department is tucked away in the corner of the store, for privacy I assume.

Privacy is the last fucking thing I want right now.

James and I have never been this close before. We've always been separated by the thick, bullet-proof glass that protects the tellers and our money behind the counter. He's never had the opportunity to _smell_ me before, and obviously he felt the need to remedy that.

_Where's my boyfriend when I need him? Oh right._

"You would look incredible in that." He reaches back out and touches the lingerie in my hand before I can jerk it away.

I quickly return it to the rack, thoroughly disgusted now. "What do you want, James?" I try really hard not to sound like a bitch.

_Really_.

"You just looked so sad and tired yesterday at the bank, and then I happened to see you here and wanted to make sure you're okay. You and your boyfriend didn't break up, did you?"

The utter glee on his face as he asks this makes me want to slap him – even more than I normally do.

"Look, James. It's nice of you to be concerned about me." His face lights up even more. "But," I say pointedly, "it's really none of your business, and you're kind of making me uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable?" he asks in confusion. "But I thought we had something special, Bella. You're my soul mate. I've known since the first moment I saw you. Now that your boyfriend is out of the way, we can finally be together like we've always wanted."

_What?!_

Gaping at him, I blink and see movement out on the main aisle that cuts through the store. I'm sure other people have passed since I've been standing here, but he catches my eye. Tall. Handsome.

Demetri.

"There you are!" I yell out before he can get too far away, stopping him in his tracks. I dart around James and walk right up to Demetri, who looks stunned, and kiss him on the cheek, whispering, "Just go along with this. _Please. _I'll explain later."

"Bella?"

"James, this is Demetri, my _boyfriend._ We didn't break up; everything is just fine. Please don't worry about me, okay?"

"But-"

"Nice to meet you." Demetri, ever the gentleman, offers his hand to James, but James looks at it like it's just sprouted lips and spoken to him.

He looks up at Demetri's face. "_This _is your boyfriend?"

For a moment, I wonder if he saw Edward at some point when he was here last month and he knows I'm lying. He couldn't be _that_ much of a stalker. Could he?

I guess anything is possible. I'm still not sure if he was the one who broke into my car a couple months ago, therefore obviously knowing where I live.

I don't know what I expect James to do at that moment, but it's definitely not his banging an open hand into his forehead and muttering, "stupid, stupid, stupid."

Demetri and I exchange a look. "James?"

"I should've known you wouldn't want someone like me. I should've known you'd want someone tall and dashing, like _this_ guy." He jerks his thumb toward Demetri.

_Dashing? Really?_

"James-"

"No! Just... Leave me alone. I'm not... You're too..." He's backing away and looking down, shaking his head. I'm completely bewildered at his reaction. Was that really all it took to make him understand? He just had to actually _see_ me with a guy who wasn't him?

I have what you might call a bleeding heart, and in that moment, I feel a pang of sympathy for James, despite how much he's creeped me out over the last several months. "James, I-"

He stops and raises his eyes back to mine. "Is Demetri here your soul mate?" he asks in a defeated tone.

_Shit. _

What is with this guy and soul mates? Why couldn't I just keep my damn mouth shut? "Um..." Demetri looks down at me, and I get caught in his sky-blue gaze for a moment.

"Yes," Demetri says, and my eyes widen before I break the connection and look back at James, forcing a smile onto my face and nodding.

I feel somewhat emboldened with Demetri by my side, his arm resting lightly around my waist, and I need to find out once and for all if James's behavior should truly make me worry for my safety. "James, I need to ask you something, and I'd appreciate it if you told me the truth."

He nods at me nervously.

"How did you know about the car trouble I was having around Christmas?"

James stiffens immediately, and I know my worst fear is confirmed. But his answer surprises me.

"Well... I..." He's wringing his hands together. Sweating a little. Anxious. "I was driving past the bank one night and saw you in the parking lot. I pulled into the parking lot next door to...watch you. You were wearing a blue sweater and black slacks and pacing outside your car, talking on your cell phone. You looked beautiful, and I hadn't seen you in several days, and..." His eyes dart to Demetri and then back to me. "I saw another car pull in, and they gave you a jump start."

"Is that it? Then you just left?"

"Yes. I stopped for dinner and went home."

"Oh. That's..." _still creepy, but nowhere near as bad as I thought_. "Thanks for telling me the truth."

I'm so relieved he doesn't seem to be quite as stalkerish as I feared. Maybe he's just a guy who isn't very socially adept, and he just got too caught up in these feelings he thinks he has for me. I don't know, but this will make Edward feel so much better about this whole situation. I hope.

James nods and begins to back away again. "I'm just gonna... "

A throat clears from behind me. James's eyes go wide, and I turn around to see Alice standing there with two bags bursting with clothing, taking in the situation in front of her. She gives me an incredulous look after realizing that Demetri and I are standing arm in arm.

Alice then looks past us and smiles a sweet, flirtatious smile, giggling lightly. My eyebrows climb almost to my hairline as I look back at James and see the goofiest grin on his face.

_Oh, Lord. He's found his next soul mate._

I roll my eyes. "Goodbye, _James._" I emphasize his name for Alice's benefit, hoping she'll realize exactly who he is, but she waggles her little fingers at him as he takes a few steps backward, still smiling at her.

Just before he turns around to leave, James fucking blows Alice a kiss. And she fucking giggles again.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," I mumble.

_Is this the fucking Twilight Zone?_

I mean, seriously. What. The fuck.

Alice still has her hand in the air, and I swat at it. "What are you doing? That's creeper-James!"

She shrugs. _Shrugs!_ "He's cute."

"Ew. No."

"I like blonds."

"That is completely irrelevant. He's a stalker."

"Maybe not anymore. Did you see how he looked at me? Like I hung the moon and stars and aligned his planets?" She sighs.

"Aligned his..." I shake my head with an exaggerated blink. "Okay, look. While I can admit that he's not quite as big of a slimeball as I originally thought, that doesn't-"

"Oh, relax. I'm not marrying the guy. I probably won't even see him again. Hi, Demetri! How are you? Did you guys just run into each other? Wait. I obviously missed something here." She looks back at me. "Explain."

I relay the story to Alice, explaining how James sort of cornered me and that Demetri was nice enough to help me out, posing as my boyfriend.

As I finish the story, Demetri steps toward me and takes hold of both of my hands. I look at our joined hands in shock before bringing my questioning eyes back to his face. "Bella," he murmurs. "I didn't even realize just how much I missed you until you came up to me and kissed my cheek. I wasn't lying when I said you're my soul mate. It was so clear to me the moment I looked into those beautiful brown eyes again." He skims a hand down my cheek, his blue eyes burning into mine. "I don't want to just pretend. I want to pick up where we left off. I think... I love you."

My jaw must be on the floor. His shining eyes are still trained on my face when I hear a sound burst from Alice. A sort of snort-laugh, like she'd been trying like hell to contain it. I turn my head her way and see her covering her mouth, her shoulders shaking with laughter. Confused, I look back at Demetri just as his face breaks out into a smile, and he begins to laugh as well. "You should've seen your face!" he exclaims between chuckles.

"Demetri's an actor with the PA Community Theater," Alice informs me.

"Oh," I dumbly reply.

It occurs to me that I would've known that, had I attempted to get to know Demetri at all. But as it is, I know nothing beyond his skills in the bedroom and the fact that he's a nice guy.

I have to admit, it's unnerving to be standing here with this man who's seen me completely naked and whom I don't really know in the slightest. Definitely a downside to having a one-night stand with someone you could run into again.

I must still be frowning, because Demetri releases my hands and steps back a bit. "Sorry. I just wanted to have a little fun with you." He winks.

"Oh. Yeah. That's fine. I'm sorry about, well, everything. And thank you. You know, for helping me with James."

"Sure. No problem. I better get going. I'm meeting Megan for lunch in a few minutes."

"Megan?"

"Oh, my girlfriend."

"Oh, okay. Well, it was good to see you."

"Yeah, you too, Bella. Take care of yourself." Demetri smiles at me again before kissing Alice on the cheek and continuing on his way through the store.

He definitely handled this whole situation with a lot more grace than I did. I hadn't realized I was still harboring some guilt about using Demetri to scratch my four-year itch. It was just _so_ unlike me to do something like that. The love 'em and leave 'em lifestyle is clearly not for me.

I can't find it in myself to regret how things happened afterward though, or I may never have started talking to Edward. And I can't stand the thought of not knowing him. Even if things don't end up working out between us.

* * *

><p>Edward's been helping a buddy of his move today, and I'm still impatiently waiting for him to call. I feel desperate for his voice right now, especially because of the day I've had. I long for his mouth and hands and skin every day though, and the separation is getting harder and harder for me to deal with.<p>

Finally, my phone rings. "Hey," Edward says, a little out of breath, when I answer.

"Hey. Are you guys all finished?"

"Yeah. I just got out of the shower. I was so disgusting."

Heat shoots through me at the mention of his shower, and I groan, a deep ache settling inside me.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Just remembering our last night together."

"I was too, while I was in there. It doesn't really matter where I am in my apartment actually. I see you everywhere." He takes a deep sigh. "This fucking sucks."

"I know."

We're both quiet for a moment. Wallowing.

"So, you'll never believe what happened to me today." I change the subject to distract from the despair our conversation has slipped into. Although this may not go over well either.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, I had a bit of a run-in with James AND Demetri. Remember, I told you about him? God, it was so awkward."

Dead silence.

"Edward?"

"Move in with me," he blurts out.

"Wh- what?"

"You heard me. Move in with me. Please, Bella. I can't stand this anymore."

I bristle a bit, because I know he's referring to the situation with James. It's always bothered him, which is understandable. But after I explain what happened, he'll just take it back. He's asking me for the wrong reasons.

"You don't mean that. We've only known each other for a couple of months, Edward. I understand the situation with James bothers you, but honestly, he's not as bad as he seemed. Once I explain what happened today, you'll understand."

Edward listens while I relay the events of my weird afternoon, carefully omitting the part where Demetri decided to play thespian with me, but he's stubborn.

"That's all fine and good, Bella, but that's not the only reason I'm asking. I just want you here with me."

I ignore that last part, even though it's sweet, because I'm so agitated at his reasoning. "Not the only reason? So you admit that's part of it? Just to get me away from any guy who might be interested in me? That's ridiculous."

His tone is sharp as he responds. "It's not ridiculous. I can't protect you from thousands of miles away. Do you understand how crazy that makes me? If I had just been with you today, fucking _Demetri_ wouldn't have had to pretend to be your boyfriend. Your _actual_ boyfriend would have been there to run that psycho off."

"Don't say his name like that," I snap without thinking.

"Like what?"

"Like..._Demetri._ He didn't do anything wrong. He _helped _me."

"He's had _sex_ with you," Edward all but growls. "I'm allowed to show a little disdain."

I sigh. Again, I should've kept my damn mouth shut. "I understand, but you know he doesn't mean anything to me, right? It was a stupid mistake. And I'm not even friends with him, so it's not like I'll be seeing him on any kind of regular basis." I pause a moment and swear I hear Edward mumble, "good" through the speaker. "Anyway, we're getting off track here. So now you're saying you want to move _here_ then?" I ask, trying to get clarification on his earlier logic about being here to 'run psychos off.'

Edward lets out a frustrated breath. "No. I'm just saying, if we were together all the time, nothing like that would have happened to you."

I feel restless because we hardly ever argue, so I get up from my bed and move to sit at my desk, resting my forehead in my free hand as I reply. "Listen. Even if we did live together, or near each other, we wouldn't be together _all_ the time anyway. You wouldn't be able to protect me from every little incident. You're being unrealistic, and you're asking me to move there for the wrong reasons."

"Bull_shit_," he spits. "I'm fucking in love with you. Isn't that enough of a reason?"

My eyes begin to sting and water. He's never talked to me like this before. I've heard him angry, but it's mostly been about trivial things like traffic or a drive-thru getting his order wrong. It's never been directed at me, and I hate it. But I can't just let him have his way like a demanding toddler.

"What I'm saying is, you can't let jealousy or possessiveness or whatever the hell this is, rule your decisions."

"Bella, listen to me. This isn't some spur of the moment decision. I've been thinking about it for a while. My mom brought it up when we were at her house, and it got me thinking about it even more, and-"

"So that's what you guys were talking about that morning in the kitchen," I muse, almost to myself.

"You were eavesdropping?"

"No. I... I was about to walk in, and your mom said my name, but I didn't know exactly what you were discussing. You sounded kind of defeated or unhappy, and I've been wanting to ask you about it, but I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer."

"Oh. Well, she asked me if I was thinking of moving away, or if I thought perhaps you'd move here. She could see the connection between us, and she wants me to be happy. And the truth is, Bella, we're never going to have a fair shot if we stay separated like this. And I _can't_ give you up. It would fucking break me."

Those words rip through me. To hear that he'd actually consider giving up on us makes my stomach twist and my heartrate pick up.

"So you're saying that if I don't agree to move in with you right now, you're just going to bail? Is that what I'm hearing?"

"Goddamnit, no! _Fuck_. I'm saying that this is getting too hard, and we're quickly running out of means to see each other. What happens when we have to go months without a visit because we can't afford it? Can you really _do_ that?"

Pain lances through me at the thought of not seeing him for months on end. A few weeks is torture enough. I know in my heart that our relationship wouldn't be able to subsist on phone calls and webcam chats alone for that long.

After a few moments of getting lost in my thoughts, I hear Edward say my name through the phone's speaker.

"No," I reply quietly.

"No... what?"

"No." I sigh. "I couldn't do that."

Edward lets out a relieved breath but otherwise remains silent.

"I don't want you to think that I don't want to be with you all the time too, because I do. That's not where my hesitation comes in. I just want you to really think this through, and I need to as well. Living together is such a huge step, and we can't do it for the wrong reasons."

"I know it's huge, baby. I know. And I understand why you feel like I asked you for the wrong reasons, because I had a knee-jerk reaction. But as I said, it's something I've been thinking about. The reality is, it's something we need to discuss, because if neither of us is willing to move, then..."

He doesn't need to finish his sentence. I've had this exact same thought. I'm just terrified of making a mistake of this magnitude.

What if I move there and he gets tired of me after a few months? What then?

I can't even think about that without wanting to curl in on myself and cry until all my tears have dried up.

Can I take that risk with my heart?

Our conversation ends with promises to think about the next step and quiet assurances of love. My insides feel like they've spent some time in a blender, so I shut my phone off and head to bed early.

Maybe tomorrow, things will be clearer.

* * *

><p>I wake up the next morning feeling a little bit better but still pensive. When I turn my phone back on, I see I have a voicemail from last night.<p>

It's not who I expect.

"Hi, Bella," my stepmom says over the recording. "Call me back when you get a chance. I need to talk to you about your dad. I love you."

* * *

><p><strong>I know that was a bit bumpy, but just trust me, okay? ;)<strong>

**Thank you all so much for reading. Reviews are much appreciated!**

**Story Rec: Chop and Change by Krazyk85 -** While trying to steal his car, a runaway, Bella, meets Edward. A man with his own vices and long rap sheet. Taking her under his wing and teaching her the way to truly boost cars, they embark on a journey of crime fitting of Bonnie and Clyde. ExB, Lemons, Violence, Guns, and Fun. HEA. BPOV. Watch Trailer on youtube: www. youtube watch? v S5mvlCUXDf8& feature youtube gdata - **This one is close to complete. It's different from most anything else I've read. It can get very intense, and I love it! These two have some KRAZY - ;) - chemistry!**


	16. Mission Accomplished

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. It's her world; I'm just visiting. No copyright infringement intended. Original content/plot is the property of the author. Plagiarism blows.**

Huge thanks to Nuttyginger, twilly, rosellebec, and mrsm0803 for their pre-reading and beta work on this! You ladies help me so much! I'd be lost without you!

Any mistakes are all mine as I tend to tinker right up until I post.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter 16 - Mission Accomplished<span>**

**BPOV**

After apologizing profusely for almost giving me a heart attack with the ominous tone of her message, Sue explains that she wants to throw a surprise 50th birthday party for my dad next month and wants to fly me down there as an added surprise for him.

We discuss all the details and come up with a plan that makes me positively giddy.

I don't even think twice before dialing Edward's number. I've all but forgotten about last night's argument with the rush of happiness coursing through me.

He picks up on the second ring. "Hey," he greets, sounding a little wary.

"Hi!"

"What's up?" he asks with a chuckle at my obvious enthusiasm.

"How would you feel about going to Florida next month?"

"Um..."

I launch into my explanation, still vibrating with excitement.

"Your step-mom really wants me there too?" Edward asks once I stop talking.

"Yes."

"And she's seriously offering to pay for half of my ticket?"

"Yep!" I'm literally bouncing.

I can hear the smile in his voice when he answers. "I think a trip to Florida sounds perfect."

* * *

><p>In the weeks leading up to our trip, we talk more about one of us moving. We know something needs to change if our relationship is to move forward. Edward once again reassures me that he realizes his timing was bad but that it's definitely something he wants.<p>

We've resolved to talk about it more and try to come up with a plan when we see each other face to face. But it's no longer a question of 'if', but of 'when' and 'whom'.

In the meantime, we still talk on the phone or the computer every night. We still like to play Magic together too, and we're more competitive than ever.

**SwanSong78:**Dude... I so kicked your ass in there, lol.

**GreenEyedMonster: **Pffffft. Whatever

**SwanSong78: **Aww, what? Can't stand getting beat by a girl?

I have to give him shit, because he almost always beats me when we play one-on-one games. I'm too nice and don't always play the cards that would stomp him, but he's all too willing to play them against me. He hates to lose, which I find ridiculous, but I have to admit that I get a little pissed off when he absolutely obliterates me too.

**GreenEyedMonster:** Yeah, yeah. Gloat all you want. I'll wipe that smug look off your face next round. Trust me.

**SwanSong78:** How do you know I have a smug look on my face?

**GreenEyedMonster:** Because I know you. You kind of tilt your head and smirk and purse your lips a little, and your left eyebrow goes up.

_Wow._

I school my features, because they were doing exactly what he said.

**SwanSong78:** You're so full of shit. I don't do that.

**GreenEyedMonster:** Yeah, okay. I bet if the webcams had been on a few minutes ago, I would've seen that exact look on your face.

**SwanSong78: **Nah, I would've distracted you with boobs.

It takes him a minute to respond.

**GreenEyedMonster:** Yeah, that probably would've worked.

I'm definitely not smug anymore. I'm smiling and laughing like I do most of the time when we talk.

God, I miss him so much.

* * *

><p>Descending the escalator into the baggage claim area, I crane my neck, scanning the area below for Sue and Claire. I haven't seen them in quite a while, and I can't wait to see how much the munchkin has grown in my absence.<p>

How Leah and her scuzzy boyfriend, Paul, made such a sweet little girl, I will never know.

"Bella! Bella!"

I whip my head in the direction of her cries and see her tiny arms waving in the air as she jumps up and down, dark curls bouncing around her shoulders.

"Claire-bear!" She runs at me, and I scoop her up and squeeze her as a tear escapes my eye. "I missed you, Claire-bear."

"I missed you too, Bella. Are you staying fowevuh?"

Sniffling, I hug her to me and wish I could give her a different answer. "No, sweet girl. But I'll do my best to visit more often, okay?"

"Okay."

I set Claire down on her feet and hold her hands out. After taking a quick glance at Sue's smiling face, I ask, "So, how old are you now? Sixteen?"

"Noooo."

"Seventeen?!"

"No, Bella." The withering look she gives me almost makes me lose it and crack up laughing. "I'm only fo-uh."

"Wow, four?!" She nods. "I wish I was four."

"You do?"

"Yep. I bet you get to just play all day long, don't you?"

"Sometimes," she answers with a giggle.

"I better say hi to your mama before she gets sad." Sue and Charlie have always been 'Mommy' and 'Daddy' to Claire. I know they plan to tell her that Leah is actually her mother when she's older, but as of now, she barely sees her anyway, so it's just not the right time.

Sue and I wrap our arms around each other and squeeze tight. "Thank you so much for flying me in. I've missed you guys so much." I'm still getting used to this kind of motherly affection from her, but I truly appreciate it.

"We've missed you too, Bella. I'm so excited to surprise your father!"

"Where does he think you are right now?" I ask as I take Claire's hand and start walking toward the parking garage.

"Oh, I just told him I had some errands to run. I think he's onto me about the party, but I don't think he has any idea that you're coming. He might even cry." She winks at me, and I laugh, imagining my sweet but usually stoic father shedding tears over seeing his baby girl. If he does cry, I know I will too.

Sue glances over to me on our ride home. "Now tell me more about your Edward." Her smile is mischievous, and I blush.

"He's just..." I shrug and take a deep breath. "Everything."

"I don't know how you two do it. Your father and I at least lived in the same state when we met online."

I look down at my lap. "It's really hard, but I love him so much. I can't imagine being without him. And I think he feels the same. At least I hope he does."

"Well, I doubt he'd be coming to meet your family if he didn't."

"I guess that's true." I smile, realizing she's right. I don't like to doubt him at all, but it creeps in from time to time. It could be because of the distance, but it probably happens in most relationships - doubting one's love is as strong as the other's.

* * *

><p>When we get to the house, Sue &amp; Claire wait out of view while I ring the doorbell alone. I see my dad's figure coming closer through the fogged glass of the front door, and I bounce on my toes a little.<p>

"Bells?"

"Hi, Dad! Happy birthday," I say with a huge smile.

He silently pulls me into a tight hug, and I bury my face into his chest, inhaling his familiar Old Spice scent. He kisses me on top of my head, and we both shed a few tears as Sue and Claire giggle from behind us.

He's in complete shock at seeing me on his doorstep.

Mission accomplished.

* * *

><p>The party is in full swing, and Dad is having a great time laughing with the guys from the station and sharing fishing stories with some of his other buddies.<p>

I use the restroom and decide to check my phone before heading back to the guests.

One missed call from Edward.

My stomach still flutters when I see that.

"Hey," he greets. "You make it in okay?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I should've called you when I landed. I just got excited to see everyone."

"It's okay. I figured no news was good news."

"Yeah, well, if it had been the other way around, I'm sure I would've chewed all my fingernails off with worry by now, so I'm still sorry."

"You worry too much," he says, and I can hear that beautiful smile of his in his velvet voice.

I sigh. "I know. Can't help it though."

"I can't wait to see you tomorrow," Edward says with a hint of desperation.

"God, I know. I feel like it's been forever since you've touched me and kissed me." A shiver of anticipation runs through me. "Is it tomorrow yet?"

He chuckles again. "I wish."

We decided it would be best for Edward to fly in the following morning so he wouldn't be completely overwhelmed with meeting my family and then having to mingle with a bunch of my dad's friends. Deep down, I know it was the right decision, but now I'm just itching to be with him, and it feels like we've wasted some of the time we could've spent together.

I have to remind myself that I'm also here to visit my family and that this time with them is important too.

Doesn't mean I'm not still craving my man though. It's going to take some epic self control not to ride his dick in the back of Sue's minivan on the way back from the airport in the morning.

Edward chokes on a laugh.

"Oh. Did I say that out loud?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Sorry."

"Hey, you won't hear any complaints from me."

I snort. "Perv."

"What? You're the one who said it!"

"Yeah, well I didn't mean to!"

We both dissolve into laughter and giggles because we're mature like that. With a sigh, I tell Edward I should get back to the party, and we say our 'I love you's and 'see you tomorrow's.

I find my dad in the kitchen grabbing another beer. "Hey, Dad. Having fun?"

His mustache twitches with a small smile. "Yeah, Bells. It's been great. The best part is having you here." Seemingly embarrassed, he doesn't look at me as he says that last part, burying his head in the refrigerator.

"I'm so glad Sue put this all together for you."

"Yeah. She's pretty great." His cheeks flush, and I smile at his earnest words.

"So, did she tell you that Edward is coming tomorrow?"

Charlie's head snaps toward me, his thick eyebrows furrowed as he frowns.

_Guess not. Shit._

"What do you mean, Edward's coming? He's coming here?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I figured Sue would've told you by now. Maybe she wanted to wait until after the party. She invited him to come meet you guys and stay the rest of the weekend." I pause a moment and take in his expression. It's hard to tell what he's thinking, but he doesn't look particularly pleased. "Is that...okay?"

He clears his throat gruffly and grunts out a "sure, yeah, fine."

"O- okay, well..."

"Yeah, I'm just gonna..." He jerks his thumb toward the living room before charging in that direction, beer in hand.

I guess it's one thing to know your daughter is dating someone and a whole other thing to have to come face to face with the guy who's defiling her.

I'm suddenly nervous about tomorrow. I don't think my dad will say anything to embarrass me, but now I have a feeling he's not exactly going to roll out the welcome wagon either.

I find Sue in the living room talking with a few of the other police officers' wives and tap her on the shoulder. "I'm sorry to interrupt. Can I talk to you for just a sec?"

"Sure," she says with an easy smile and follows me into the hallway.

"I just told Dad about Edward coming tomorrow. I thought maybe you had mentioned it already. I'm sorry. I hope he doesn't get mad at you or anything." I'm wringing my hands together. I don't want to cause problems when Sue has been so incredibly nice.

"Oh, Bella. Don't worry about your father. Everything will be fine. He'll understand that you want to see your boyfriend."

"I hope you're right about that. He didn't seem happy at all when I told him."

"No one will ever be good enough for his little girl," Sue says with a soft pat to my cheek. "I'll tell him to be nice. Don't worry, sweetie."

I let out a relieved breath. "Okay. Thank you." She gives me a warm hug that makes me relax even more, and we go back to the festivities.

* * *

><p>"So, how does it feel to be over the hill?" We're sitting around the breakfast table, and I can't help but be in a great mood. I'm counting the minutes until we can leave to go to the airport and pick up my man.<p>

"Har, har, Bells."

"What's ovuh the hill?" asks Claire.

"Oh, Bella's just being silly," Sue says.

"Oh." Claire giggles. "Okay."

"It means Daddy's getting old, sweet girl," Dad says.

"Oh, come on. You're not old. Like Sue said, I was just being silly."

I get a grunt in return. I hope his mood improves before Edward gets here. Somehow, I doubt that's going to happen though.

"Should we get going?" I ask Sue as soon as her last bite has been swallowed.

"Let her digest a little, Bells."

"It's okay, Charlie. She's just excited."

Another grunt.

_Great._

Sue gives him a chastising look and tells him he's on dish duty before getting up from the table and heading out to the car.

I kiss Dad on the cheek and remind him that I love him before following her.

* * *

><p><strong>EPOV<strong>

Another plane ride.

_Fun._

It'll be worth it though. _God_, will it be worth it.

Of course I'm nervous about meeting Bella's family-her dad especially. But she met my family when I asked, and there was no way I could pass up the chance to see her.

I need to feel my girl in my arms so much it almost hurts.

My fingers involuntarily twitch against my thighs at the thought of being able to touch her soon. I can't wait to bury my hands in her hair and kiss her senseless.

Licking my suddenly dry lips, I glance out the window and see that we're beneath the puffy clouds now. The intercom suddenly crackles as the captain announces our descent.

I breathe a little easier as the ground gets ever closer and remember to brace myself for the landing.

_Not much longer now._

I see her before she sees me, even though her eyes seem to be searching everywhere at once, trying to find me.

My chest constricts when she finally catches sight of me, her face lighting up with that breathtaking smile.

My body floods with warmth and relief and love and a million other things as soon as Bella is back in my arms. "I missed you so fucking much," I choke out against her ear as I'm holding her.

All I hear in return is a sniffle as she squeezes me even tighter, and I know she's too overcome with emotion to respond.

I kiss the tears off her face and keep kissing her all over until she giggles. "Much better."

She smiles at me, deep brown eyes still shining with emotion. Her hands come up to cradle my jaw, and she plants a sweet kiss on my lips before wrapping her warm hand around mine and pulling me toward the exit. "Let's go. Sue's waiting for us in the car."

"Wait, wait, wait." I stop walking, our linked hands pulling her to a stop as well. We're in a breezeway between the terminal and the parking garage, and there's no one around at the moment. I take advantage of the temporary privacy and drop my bag to pull her to me and crash my lips against hers, burying my fingers into her silky hair just like I've been itching to do for the past month. Bella's mouth immediately opens to me, inviting my tongue to tangle with hers. I press into her more fully, rubbing my already hard cock against her stomach as her hands dive into my hair. Moaning into my mouth, she sucks and nips at my bottom lip, and I groan and grind against her until I hear giggles behind me.

_Fuck._

A group of teenage girls in softball uniforms is walking through, whispering and giggling while sneaking glances at us.

Bella is beet red. "I guess we should go." She sighs and weaves our fingers together again as we continue walking. "What is wrong with us? Why can't we control ourselves in airports?"

"We're horndogs," I reply with a shrug and a smirk, bringing our joined hands to my mouth to kiss her fingers.

"This is true."

I hold my bag in front of my crotch as we move into the dim parking garage. A dark-haired woman steps out of a white minivan as we approach. "Hi. You must be Edward. I'm Sue."

Her warm smile puts me at ease right away. "Nice to meet you, Sue."

"You too." Sue whispers something to Bella on her way back to the driver's seat that I can't hear, but it makes Bella blush and sneak a quick glance at me. I tilt my head at her in question, but she just shakes her head and opens the sliding door. As she's climbing in, I actually bite my fist at the spectacular view of her perfect ass.

_Fuck, it's going to be torture until I can really get my hands on her._

Her shirt rides up just enough for me to catch a glimpse of the twin dimples on display right above her waistband.

_God bless the inventor of low-rise jeans. _

Our fingers stay entwined between the two captain's chairs in the back as Sue drives. I mostly just stare at Bella while she fidgets and looks at me from under her lashes every five seconds.

"Stop that!" she whisper-yells after about fifteen minutes of my eyes blazing trails all over her body.

"Stop what?" I whisper back.

She side-eyes me. "You know exactly what." Bella rubs her thighs together, and my dick twitches in my jeans.

_Yes._

I wonder how long it'll be before I can get her alone.

Fuck, I can't face her dad with a raging hard-on.

I squeeze my eyes shut and let my mind begin to conjure up anything that will make my dick go down.

_Baseball._

_Bella would look hot in those tight pants._

_Food._

_Bella in nothing but an apron, cooking for me._

Damn it!

_Margaret Thatcher naked on a cold day._

Nothing works. He knows exactly how close he is to the promised land.

_Twitch _

When we pull into the driveway, I still have my eyes closed, trying desperately to will my erection away. I hear Bella unbuckle, and then she's in front of me with her hands on my knees. I can't look at her. No. Shit.

I feel her lean in and put her lips to my ear and whisper, "I wanna fuck you _so_ bad." My sharp intake of breath makes her chuckle, and she palms my cock, which is still, of course, painfully hard.

_What the fuck is she trying to do to me?_

Bella hops out of the van like she didn't just tease the shit out of me, and I open my eyes to see Charlie standing with Sue on the front porch, probably wondering what the hell is wrong with me.

Yep. I. Am. Fucked.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you all so much for reading! A review would be much appreciated if you have the time!<strong>

**A few recs this time:**

**In Venam by MissJanuary - **Selfishness and desire are human traits. They are not traits born to Guards. Decisiveness, loyalty, and fear are as much a part of me as my wings are meant to be. And yet, I'd let it them fade…for him. - **Awesome AU! Unique and intriguing. I love this Bella so much!**

**Good Enough by KekahJ - **She is tough, smart, and independent. He's been pampered and privileged his whole life. Til one night changes everything. Can she convince him that he's still good enough? - **This Edward is struggling, but he's so sweet. He just wants to feel good enough. I just want to hug him!**

**The Coral Garden by twentyfourth and vine - **It's late, lights blaze with music and the beat is relentless. For one girl and one boy, this isn't just another party. In the whisper silk dark, everything changes. Do you search for your destiny or does it find you? Do you choose love or are you chosen? - **Her writing style is amazing. It will suck you in from the very beginning.**

**Press End Call by twentyfourth and vine - **He calls, she answers. He says he's not ringing from home. She's sure he hasn't given her his real name, but she hasn't given him hers, either. These things don't matter - she's just going to tell him a story. - **So. Hot.**


	17. Twig and Berries

**Disclaimer: SM owns all things Twilight. It's her world; I'm just visiting. No copyright infringement intended. Original content/plot is the property of the author. **

Massive thanks as always to Nuttyginger, rosellebec, and twilly for their pre-reading and beta work on this! You ladies rock!

Any mistakes are all mine as I tend to tinker right up until I post.

**So sorry for the delay on this chapter. **

**Thank you for sticking with me, and I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 17 - Twig and Berries**

* * *

><p>"Is he coming in or what?"<p>

"Oh, he said he wanted to have a smoke first," I lie.

Dad mutters something I can't make out and goes back inside.

I know I should feel bad for teasing Edward, but I really kind of love that he wants me that much.

The feeling is mutual.

Leaving Edward to get his 'situation' under control, I walk into the house and to the kitchen for some water, and Charlie's just closing the refrigerator after grabbing a beer.

It's mid-morning, so I raise my eyebrows at him in question.

"What?" he asks a bit petulantly. "You're the one dating a smoker. No judging."

I chuckle and put my hands up in surrender.

"What's with that anyway?" he asks. "You hate that shit."

Rolling my eyes, I gulp down my water quickly before responding. "He doesn't smoke all that much, and he wants to quit. He's just really nervous. And it's not like I can help who I fall in love with, Dad."

"In love?"

"Um. _Yeah_." I would think it's obvious. Why else would Edward want to come here and meet my family? Just to get a piece of ass? The guy is hot. He could get that anywhere.

Charlie begins to guzzle his beer until Sue steps in and swats at his arm.

"What are you doing? It's eleven o'clock in the morning for crying out loud!"

"Did you know she thinks she's in love with that boy?" he asks Sue incredulously, pointing at me with his thumb.

Sue clicks her tongue and shakes her head while I roll my eyes again.

"Dad, listen. You do realize that I'm twenty-four years old, right?"

"Hmph."

"Come on. _Please_ give him a chance. He means the world to me, and he loves me too. He's a good guy, Dad. Please just be nice to him."

He sighs, defeated. "Fine. But he better be good to you, Bells."

"He is. I promise."

Just then, I hear a light knock on the front door and smile, figuring Edward doesn't want to just walk in.

I walk to the door and open it up to find him running a hand through his hair, making it stand up in all directions.

"Everything uh..." I glance down at his crotch quickly before bringing my eyes back to his. "...under control?"

Edward smirks at me. "Yeah."

"You ready to meet the chief?"

He groans, and I giggle.

"Why'd you have to call him that? It's bad enough that he's your dad. Now I have to be reminded that he owns a gun and probably wants to aim it right at my twig and berries?"

I step onto the porch with him. "Aww, I'd never let him hurt your twig and berries, baby. I promise." My hand starts to go for his crotch again.

He grasps my wrist before I can make contact and brings his face close to mine. "Are you _trying_ to get me killed?"

I snort and back away a bit. "Sorry." My teeth sink into my bottom lip, and Edward hisses.

"Shit."

My eyes follow the movement of his hand as he adjusts himself through his jeans.

A little thrill shoots through me at the thought of having such an effect on him. He affects me the same way. I'm just lucky it's not on display for everyone to see. I can feel it starting to seep out of me just a little though. And my nipples are hard against the slight padding of my bra.

I lock eyes with him. "Let's go put your stuff in the bedroom before you meet my dad."

Edward licks his lips. "Yeah. Okay."

I walk back into the kitchen, where I find Dad and Sue whispering a little heatedly.

"Hey, I'm just going to get Edward settled in really quick, and then we'll be ready for lunch and whatever else. Okay?" I wonder if I'm fooling them. They're not stupid.

"I'm gonna go mow the yard," Dad says abruptly.

"Take all the time you need, Bella," Sue says kindly. "I'll have lunch ready in about a half hour, but it'll keep until you guys are ready."

I nod and thank her before going back to the foyer where I've left Edward.

Just as I'm leading Edward down the hall toward the guest room, I hear Claire come in from playing outside. I quicken my pace, pulling him along so I can have him all to myself for just a few minutes at least. I'm laughing, giddy at the idea, which makes him laugh too. He's right on my heels as we reach the bedroom door, and we end up stumbling through the doorway. I fall forward onto my knees and catch myself with my hands. Just as I start to get up, I feel him lean over my back and whisper hotly into my ear, "Don't move."

A shiver of anticipation and a flash of heat shoot through me, and I'm all too happy to obey. I don't move a muscle.

I can see him in my periphery. He curses and scrambles around on his knees to move my heavy suitcase in front of the door after discovering there's no lock on it. And then he's back on me in an instant, running his large hands all over my body, making my back arch in pleasure.

"Fuck, baby. I want you _so_ bad." His hot breath caresses my ear and cheek, and a shudder runs through me. "I know this is probably the worst time and place for this, but I just can't wait," he whispers. "I need you. Now."

Edward bites down gently on my earlobe and then sucks it into his mouth, and I'm lost in sensation. The heat of his body covering my back and his mouth and hands on me are all I can focus on. I don't care that Claire is running around right outside the door playing. I don't care that my dad and Sue are home.

All I care about is having Edward inside me right now.

"_Please_," I whimper as he begins squeezing my breasts. He moves his hands to the button on my jeans at my plea, deftly flicking it open.

As soon as he has my zipper lowered, I raise up a bit and help him shove my jeans down while he takes care of his own. We don't even take the time to pull them all the way off. Both pairs are scrunched down just enough to expose the parts we need to be connected.

I fall back down to my hands just as he lines himself up and slides inside.

"God, you're always so ready for me. So wet. _Fuck_," he says in a harsh whisper.

I stifle a moan and push back against him in acknowledgement, not wanting to broadcast our activities.

Edward's pace is fast and hard. Just what we both need right now. My arms begin to feel shaky after a few moments, so I let them fall and rest the side of my face against the carpet, changing the angle of his thrusts. Struggling to hold in a scream, I press my lips together, but a strangled whimper escapes anyway.

Edward senses my struggle, and one of his warm hands covers my mouth as he looms over me, fucking me with frenzied passion.

I vaguely register the sound of a lawnmower getting closer, and Edward suddenly removes his hand and freezes behind me. I glance up at the window and see the shadow of my dad passing by just on the other side of the blinds.

We know he can't hear us over the mower, but it still freaks us out, having him so close while we're doing what we're doing.

I'm holding my breath, and I'm sure Edward is doing the same until Dad moves along. It feels like he lingers there for longer than necessary, but it could just be my imagination.

Once he's moved away from the window, we both let out a shaky laugh, mine turning into a low moan as Edward rears back and begins to pound into me again.

"_God_, I fucking missed this. Your pussy feels so good wrapped around me." His hands grip my waist, long fingers curving around me and squeezing as his thrusts continue.

"_Oh, fuck,_" I squeak.

"Did you miss my cock, baby?"

"God, _yes._"

"Yeah?" He puncuates his question with a slam of his hips into my ass, making me want to cry out as he hits that perfect spot inside.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," I blather quietly. "_Fuck._"

"You want me to come in you, baby?"

"Mmhmm," I whimper, licking my dry lips.

Edward's rhythm falters as my orgasm washes over me. I squeeze and release him in quick succession, intense shudders wracking my body. "_Shit_, I'm coming," he murmurs. "Fuck, Bella. Fuck. Fuck. _FUCK._"

Spent, he collapses on my back, and I stretch like a lazy cat underneath him. "Mmmmmm."

"Yeah," he says, chuckling.

"We are really good at that."

Edward laughs again and lightly smacks my ass as he moves off me and stands up. "You bet your ass we are."

We fix our clothes and move up onto the bed, kissing languidly and just enjoying being together again. I scratch my nails lightly along his sharp jawline, enjoying the feel of his smooth skin. Shaving clean to meet my family was sweet, but damn I miss that scruff.

I suddenly giggle, and Edward pulls back from kissing my neck.

"Did I tickle you?"

"No. It's just... We didn't even take our pants off." I can't stop laughing, and Edward soon joins in. "Oh well, who cares? It was fun."

"Damn right it was," he growls, pulling me closer until our bodies are smashed together and kissing me hard.

I sigh when he releases me. "We should probably go out there before we start humping like bunnies again."

"Damn," he pouts. "Okay."

"You'll be fine. Charlie's mostly bark and very little bite." I smile at his grimace and lead him out of the room.

We stop abruptly as Claire stands, blinking up at us right outside the door.

"Whatcha doin'?"

"We were just coming to see what _you_ were doing."

"Who's he?"

"This is Edward."

Edward crouches down and puts his hand out for Claire to shake. She glances at me and at my nod, places her small hand in his much larger one. "Nice to meet you, Claire."

"You too," she replies shyly.

They shake hands normally, but then Edward begins to wiggle his hand, making Claire's arm and then whole body shake and convulse, and she giggles like crazy.

My heart just overflows with love for this amazing man as I beam at them.

Sue peeks around the corner, probably having heard all the commotion and lets us know that lunch is ready.

Edward straightens up immediately and gulps.

I lace my fingers through his and tug him down the hall, squeezing his fingers in reassurance.

Dad is on what I assume is his second beer when we walk into the kitchen. He eyes Edward for a moment before setting the can down on the counter.

"Dad, this is Edward. Edward, my dad, Charlie."

"Chief Swan," Dad corrects.

"_Charlie_," Sue repeats.

Dad grumbles and sticks his hand out toward Edward.

Edward pushes his glasses up his nose, and I notice him wiping his palm on his leg before shaking my dad's hand.

_Poor guy._

I guess I should've known better, but I really thought Charlie would make this a little easier on him.

Instead, he all but glares at Edward during lunch until Sue and I both end up kicking him in the shin.

Dad clears his throat abruptly. "So, Edward. What is it that you do for a living?"

I groan because I know this is one of the last things Edward wants to discuss with my dad. He's not happy with what he's doing, but it's a job. "You already know where he works, Dad."

"I'm just trying to make conversation," he grouses.

I scratch the back of my neck in discomfort. My visit with Edward's family went a hell of a lot better than this. "This is delicious, Sue," I say, trying to ease some of the tension.

"Thanks. It's a family recipe."

"Thank you for cooking," Edward adds quietly.

"You're welcome," Sue replies with a warm smile.

Edward straightens up a little and glances at me. I give him a reassuring smile as well, and things relax a little after that.

Claire seems to have developed a serious Edward-crush. And who can blame the girl, really?

She insisted on sitting next to him, and she constantly looks up at him and giggles.

Once she decides she's finished with her lunch, Edward begins sneaking little pokes into her side, turning her giggles into screaming laughter.

I've never had the opportunity to see him around a little kid before now, and it warms my heart so much to see how playful and engaging he is. He's even better with her than I am.

The thought of Edward and me having little ones of our own one day slams into me, and I lose my breath for a minute, thinking about him holding a chubby little baby in his strong arms. It surprises me just how _right_ it feels to think about, especially so early in our relationship. But I can't deny it.

Sue and I are all smiles as we watch Edward and Claire interact. I glance at Dad and even see a mustache-twitch and a twinkle in his eye.

* * *

><p>"Should I offer to sleep on the couch?" Edward asks me. He sounds nervous. Probably thinking about his 'twig and berries' being blown to bits.<p>

"Absolutely not." I step closer to him and run my hands up his arms and under his t-shirt, caressing his sexy shoulders. God, this man is just delicious, and I still cannot believe he's all mine.

"They're comfortable with us sharing a room?"

"Well, my dad won't exactly like it, but he won't say anything. And Sue's cool."

It's been an interesting day.

After lunch, Dad seemed to decide to take it a little easier on Edward. Claire has always had Dad wrapped around her little finger, so if Edward has her seal of approval, then I guess Charlie figured he couldn't be all that bad.

Dad even offered Edward a beer at one point, which earned smiles of approval from Sue and me.

As Edward and I settle in for the night, talking quietly and never taking our hands off each other, the topic of moving comes up again.

"So, I've been thinking a lot about this," Edward says.

"Me too."

"I need to be honest." At my nod, he continues. "I'm having a really hard time imagining living that far away from my family. I just don't know if I can do it."

His glasses are off, and I brush my thumb over his right eyebrow. His eyes fall shut for a moment, thick eyelashes dusting his cheeks. The love and compassion I feel for him in this moment is overwhelming. His sweetness completely bowls me over at times.

"I can understand that. You guys are obviously very close. I know your mom would have a tough time with it."

Edward nods. "But I feel terrible asking you to move to a place where you really don't know anyone."

"It would be the same for you, babe. It's okay. I've been thinking about all the logistics, and it would be so much easier for me to move since I can transfer with the bank. You'd have to start from scratch and find a new job."

His eyes shine with hope and love. "So, does that mean..."

My eyes tear up just a little as I smile widely and nod. It feels so good to come to a decision on this so that we can just be together.

Edward's arms tighten around me. "Are you sure? God, I want you there with me so much, but I don't want you to regret it."

"I'm sure. It just makes more sense this way. I'm not saying it won't be hard, but I can't be away from you anymore."

He crashes his lips against mine, at the same time squeezing me _so_ tight, and I know I've just made him incredibly happy. It's an overwhelmingly lovely feeling.

Pulling back, he looks into my eyes. "You know I'd move to Washington if you asked me to, right?"

"I know." I honestly do.

"In a heartbeat."

"I know," I repeat. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby." Brushing his lips against mine, Edward removes what little clothing we have on and slides inside me. "God, I can't wait until we can do this every single night. And every morning. And when I come home for lunch," he whispers in my ear as he moves. I giggle lightly at his words, mostly out of excitement at that prospect myself. "And in the middle of the night. And..."

I've never felt more confident in a decision in my life. I know I'll have a lot of explaining to do to those close to me, but I know this is exactly the right decision for _us._

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! Someone's moving! <strong>

**Story Rec: The Debt**** by Ta Paixao - Juniors in college, Bella and Edward live together under a tense agreement. They aren't exactly friends - not anymore - but Edward has a debt to pay and a promise to keep. Edward will get his chance at redemption... Rated for all sorts of adult content. EPOV. - I'm kind of obsessed with this fic. READ IT**


	18. Blissful

**Huge thanks to Twilly, rosellebec, and Nuttyginger for their never-ending patience and help!**

**Even huger thanks to all of you for your never-ending patience and for continuing to read and leave me some love!**

**SM owns all things Twilight. All mistakes are mine.**

**A bit of a time jump here. :)**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 18 - Blissful<strong>

**BPOV**

**_April 29, 2003_**

It's my third night in my new apartment—_our_ apartment. Thankfully, my confessions of being messy and painfully forgetful didn't stop Edward from wanting me to move in. I told him he'd hear, "Why did I come in here?" and "What was I going to say?" more times than he ever thought possible, but he just laughed and told me to get my ass to Illinois.

I'm in our small kitchen, getting things ready to make chicken parm, Edward's favorite. I brought pots, pans, dishes, and silverware with me from Washington, so the kitchen isn't the land of nothingness anymore.

Heat envelops me as Edward comes up and wraps one arm around my waist, sliding my hair out of the way and kissing the back of my neck.

I shiver and hum my approval, and he presses himself harder against me so I can feel just what I do to him. Sliding his hand across my collarbone and into his button-down shirt that I'm wearing, he cups my breast, and my head falls back against his shoulder.

We've barely come up for air since I moved in. He took a couple days off work to help me get settled in, and I don't start at the bank for several more days.

It's been...blissful, to say the least.

When I'd returned home to Washington from Florida, I had a lot of preparations to make. I hadn't found the guts to tell my dad about the move before we left, so I had to explain everything to him and, of course, Alice.

I was absolutely dreading their reactions. I didn't have any doubts about moving in with Edward, but I knew _they_ would.

My dad surprised me.

He'd ended up liking Edward, for the most part, by the end of our visit, but I was still shocked that he didn't give me a hard time about moving. Even more shocking was when he actually offered to fly up and help me drive to Illinois.

Alice was a different story.

She said she knew it was going to happen sooner or later, but she was hoping for more time. We both cried, and I told her she could visit as often as she liked, and I'd visit her too. I could tell she wasn't happy with my decision and was worried that Edward and I were moving too fast, but she understood how hard it was for us to be apart.

My friends at the bank thought I was stupid for taking such a huge leap of faith, but they don't know Edward, so I didn't put much stock in their opinions. Obviously.

Carmen didn't think I was stupid, though.

_"That boy loves you," she said. _

_"I know." I smiled. "I love him too."_

_"Then that's all that matters."_

I'm going to miss her like crazy.

"You ready to eat?" I ask, turning off the stove.

"Mmhmm," Edward hums against my skin before opening his mouth and biting down gently on my neck.

I moan and rub my thighs together, my head falling back against his shoulder again. "_God._ You're evil."

He chuckles against my skin, sending shivers spreading over my shoulders and down my spine, and I press my ass into him. His big hands slide down my torso and grip my hips, keeping me tight against him as he grinds into me.

One of my hands moves to thread through the back of his hair as I arch my back, my voice almost embarrassingly breathy. "I thought you said you wanted to eat."

"Oh, I do."

His fingers lift the hem of my shirt and dip into my panties, slipping against my sensitive flesh. Squirming in his hold, I grip his thighs to help support myself as he rubs against my clit with the perfect amount of pressure.

Edward's cheek presses into the side of my head, his mouth at my ear, hot breath gusting over my cheek. Turning his face into me slightly, he whispers harshly, "I think it's time I got a taste, baby."

The sound that comes out of me is embarrassing to say the least—a sort of whimper/moan/groan I've never made before.

Before I know what's happening, Edward has me turned around and up against the counter by the stove. Settling down onto his knees, he smooths his hands up my thighs, over my hips, and hooks his fingers into the sides of my panties, giving me a smirk as he slides them down my legs. "You won't be needing these," he says just before tossing them over his shoulder. They fly over the bar and out of sight, and I giggle.

Looking up at me from his position on the floor, Edward slowly unbuttons the shirt I'm wearing, starting at the bottom. Our eyes stay locked as he pushes each button through its hole, and my breathing becomes more and more shallow as he reaches the last one. Leaving the shirt on me but open, he runs his hands up my stomach to cup my breasts, and my head falls back as he whispers, "Beautiful."

The feel of his warm hands on my body, sliding over my skin and pressing into me, is almost my favorite feeling in the world.

Almost.

One of his hands slides around to my back and down over ass before traveling lower and pressing against the back of my thigh. I look back down at him as he hitches my left leg over his shoulder, and I grip the counter behind me as my other leg wobbles a little.

Both of his hands splay over my ass and squeeze as he positions me just where he wants me, and my foot flexes and points against his back in anticipation.

Even though I haven't liked this before in the past, I know the love I have for Edward will help me enjoy whatever he does to me.

I'm at least willing to let him try now, anyway.

Edward leans closer and lays kisses on my lower abdomen and hips. He runs his nose sensually along the thigh by his head. "Ready?" he murmurs against my skin.

Clearing my throat and taking a deep breath, I answer, "I think so," and he chuckles against me.

When his warm breath fans over me _right there_, I close my eyes.

Warmth and wetness meet _my_ warmth and wetness. He teases and licks a little, and it feels good but not overwhelming.

But then he moves his tongue higher.

"_HolyshhhhhhitmotherfuckerwhattheFUCKholyshhhhh..." _I trail off with a squeak. The pressure is just on the edge of too much, but it feels too good, so I don't ask him to stop. I fight to keep my eyes open as my face crumples with the pleasurable pain coursing from my clit, spreading through my abdomen. My leg tightens around him while my other knee buckles, and my grip on the counter becomes a lot more necessary.

Edward chuckles again at my outburst, except with his lips against my clit, it vibrates and feels crazy-good, and I lose the battle with my eyelids. They clench shut as my pelvis tilts toward him, and he licks me again and again, the pressure a perfect blend of torture and pleasure.

As soon as I'm able to relax just a bit, a loud moan rips from my throat, and Edward takes that as his cue to do more. He responds with a moan against me, sending more delicious vibrations into me. His right hand trails down my ass cheek until his fingers find my slick entrance, and he probes a little before sliding two inside me. He pumps in and out as his slow licks continue, and I am all groans and whimpers, trying like hell not to fall on my ass.

When his fingers begin to massage my g-spot inside and he begins to gently suck on my clit, I just about lose it.

"Too much, too much, too much," I begin to chant. "It's too much. I can't." My head thrashes from side to side, and one hand moves to his forehead, trying to push him away. He doesn't let me. He holds steady and keeps his lips and tongue and fingers working until I'm finally able to crest that peak.

Screaming my release, my hips roll against his face as I shake and move my hands to his shoulders, holding on for dear life until the aftershocks subside.

Slumping against the counter as I come down, my hands sink into his hair as he looks up at me with a very satisfied look on his face.

"Yum," he says and licks his lips.

I can do nothing but laugh deliriously. I'm no stranger to orgasms, but that was the most intense one I've ever had. Getting there was almost painful at times, but it was _so_ worth it.

Edward helps me get my leg down and steadies me. He groans as I help him up off the floor. "Should've worn kneepads," he grouses, and I giggle again.

"Thank you," I murmur as I throw my arms around him and pull him in for a kiss. Tasting myself on him is odd but not horrible.

"Mmm, anytime, baby."

Pulling back, I raise an eyebrow at him. "Really? You liked doing that?"

He nods. "I did. Very much. Are you actually gonna let me do it again sometime? It seemed like you liked it." He waggles his eyebrows at me, and I smirk, stifling a giggle and shaking my head. "No?"

"I didn't say that. You're just a dork. But yes, I definitely liked it, and I'll definitely let you do that again."

"Sweet. Oh!" he exclaims with raised eyebrows. "Since we _both_ like doing that, we can 69 now." He fist-pumps.

My snort-giggle can't be contained this time.

I just love him.

* * *

><p>As we settle into our daily life, it becomes clear that while we fight at times (mostly over really stupid things), we made the right decision.<p>

Things are great.

Edward finds a better job.

We move into a nicer place and get our first pet—a guinea pig.

We trade the guinea pig in (give it to a friend) for our first dog.

I get promoted at the bank.

Alice surprises me with a visit on my birthday that Edward helps orchestrate and keep secret.

We still play a lot of video games together.

We still have amazing sex.

Things are _really_ great.

After about a year and a half together, we decide to buy a loose diamond for a future engagement ring because a local jewelry store is having a sale. But when the salesman throws in a band for free with purchase, suddenly we have a _right-now_ engagement ring.

I tell Edward that it can sit in a drawer until he's ready. I don't want to pressure him. Marriage is huge, and he needs to really think about it.

_I_, on the other hand, would have married him a year ago if he'd asked me.

The jewelry store is in a big shopping area with all sorts of other shops around. Edward goes to pick up _the ring_ after it's been sized, and when he comes through the door, he has a guilty look on his face.

"Did you get it? Can I see it?"

Okay, maybe I'm a little excited.

He moves his hand from behind his back and presents me with a case for a video game he's been wanting, and I frown in confusion.

"I'm sorry," he says, his eyebrows drawn together. "I went to Game Stop first and lost track of time. The jewelry store was closed by the time I got over there. Why would they close at six o'clock?" He shakes his head. "So dumb. I'm really sorry. I'll go back tomorrow."

Waving my hand like it's no big deal even though I'm a little crushed, I reply, "Nah. It's okay. I mean, it's not like you were going to _ask_, right? I was just excited to see it." I give him a quick kiss on the lips. "I can certainly wait another day." With a fake smile plastered on my face, I turn and walk toward the kitchen to get dinner started.

"Bella," Edward says softly.

Turning back to face him, I gasp at the sight of him down on one knee, holding _the ring_ up, and my insides liquefy. Both hands go over my mouth, and I don't even try to contain the tears that spring to my eyes.

Shaking my head, I move toward him. "You really don't have to ask me now, Edward. I swear. I won't be upset. I want you to be ready."

"No. I…" He runs a hand through his hair and adjusts his knee under himself. "Driving back here with it, I got really excited to ask you. So… don't ruin it, okay?"

I nod and sniffle. "Okay."

Giving me a rueful smile, he holds the ring a little higher. "Bella." He clears his throat. "Will you… marry me?"

So simple and sweet and _us_.

Nodding again and smiling hugely, I wipe my tears, but more just take their place.

"Yes. Of _course_ I will."

* * *

><p><strong>Most of you probably know or figured out that a lot of this is based on how I met my Edward, and yes, that is how our engagement went, lol. <strong>

**Up next is the epilogue. It's been written for quite a long time, but it needs some editing. I'll be working on it and get it posted as soon as possible. Thank you again so much for sticking with me!**


	19. Epilogue Part 1

**I can't thank you all enough for your patience with this. I know it's taken me FOREVER, and I'm sorry for that. I just wasn't happy with it for some reason and couldn't figure out how to fix it. **

**Huge thanks to Twilly, rosellebed, and Nuttyginger for their valuable input!**

**SM owns all things Twilight. All mistakes are mine.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Epilogue - Part 1<span>**

Not a whole lot changed for Edward and me after we married, having lived together for quite a while beforehand. You never _really_ know someone until you live with them, and thankfully, knowing all of each other's annoying habits hasn't changed how much we love one another.

We ended up having a fun wedding in Vegas with our closest friends and family. Except for my mother. She'd been diagnosed with cancer the previous year. She called me the morning of the wedding and said she couldn't fly in because she'd gotten a respiratory infection and was too ill to travel.

All our differences hadn't mattered in that moment. I still wanted my mother at my wedding, and I was devastated. Alice wasn't happy with my puffy eyes, but once I told her what was going on, she softened, bringing me coffee and offering soothing words.

Despite that bit of lingering sadness, we had a great time getting married at The Excalibur. I still laugh about walking through the food court in my wedding gown to get to the chapel.

Our families finally meeting was... interesting. Their personalities couldn't be more different, but they got along well enough. The wine flowed freely at the reception dinner, so that definitely helped.

When Alice and Jasper met, the sparks between them were instantaneous. Their eyes seemed to never leave one another. It was surreal, like something out of a movie. They both suspiciously disappeared that night, and I found out later that no one saw either of them the next day either.

She always did have a thing for blonds. Thank God it was Jasper and not James.

It was a few weeks before they revealed that they'd secretly gotten married at a drive-thru chapel while we were all in Vegas. They didn't want to steal our thunder, but they "couldn't spend another minute not married to each other."

It was shocking, to say the least. But we could all tell they were made for each other.

* * *

><p>Edward is an amazing husband. We have our communication problems like most couples, but we make it through, learning and coming out stronger on the other side.<p>

I _love_ being able to call him my husband, and he makes me so proud to be his wife.

I was especially proud of him when he decided to go back to school and finish his degree. He'd been _so_ close, and we had many discussions about what a shame it was he hadn't quite gotten there.

Now he has a great job that he enjoys, and he's so much happier. I hated seeing him come home so exhausted and sometimes angry from his warehouse job. Getting away from that stressful job also helped him quit smoking. He'd already cut way back when I first moved in with him, but being able to quit all together was a huge accomplishment, and I couldn't be more proud of him for that either.

Married life is… hard, fun, frustrating, exhilarating. It can be exasperating, even infuriating at times, but as long as we remember the love, I know we'll be okay. And the love I have for Edward grows stronger every single day.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Approximately Five Years After the Wedding<span>**

"Hey, hun?" my husband yells from somewhere in the house.

Sticking my thumb in my book to save my place, I shout back, "Yeah, babe?"

It's funny how we hardly ever call each other by our first names anymore. It just seems too formal for some reason.

"Come here for a minute. I wanna show you something."

"I don't know where '_here_' is."

"You should know by now that if I'm not up there with you, then I'm in my man cave," he continues to yell.

_Oy, the man cave._

It's not that bad, really. We sort of share it since we game together a lot. I use one of the rooms right off the area considered his man cave as an office.

I descend the stairs into the large walkout basement that houses the "man cave", along with a rec room, my office, and a half bathroom. Edward's setup is a bit ridiculous. He's taken over the den area down here. His Xbox 360 is hooked up to a huge flat screen TV mounted on the wall, which also serves as the monitor for his computer.

I'll admit I'm a little jealous since I just have a relatively small monitor on my desk in my office. The only thing I can brag about is my cushy desk chair, because he sits on the floor in front of a coffee table when he uses his computer.

"What's up, lover?"

"Look what I just installed on my computer," Edward says, pointing to his TV.

The _Magic: The Gathering Online_ intro screen is there, and I clap and squeal. Just a little. "Oh, my God! Wow, that brings back some memories."

"Good ones, I hope," he replies, waggling his eyebrows.

"All good, baby. All good," I practically coo at him. Moving to sit on the couch behind him, I lean down and kiss the back of his neck as I so often do.

"You should go install it too, so we can play together."

"Okay!" I leap off the couch so fast, I almost fall flat on my face.

"You okay there?" He tries, unsuccessfully, to stifle his laughter.

Getting to my feet, I reply indignantly, "I'm just fine, no thanks to you."

"Hey, it's not my fault you're a total klutz."

"Ass."

"Love you too, dear."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

He smacks me on the ass. "Now get to it, woman. I wanna play!" The big cheesy grin on his face is too cute for words.

"Oh, you wanna play, huh?" I ask seductively as I turn around and stalk back toward him.

His eyebrows go up, and he nods dumbly.

I crawl onto his lap, straddling his hips, and bring my lips to his once, twice, three times—teasing.

Edward growls and plunges one hand into my hair, holding my face to his, and deepens our kiss. His other arm wraps tightly around my waist, pressing our bodies together deliciously. My hands thread through his thick hair, and my hips rock against his rapidly hardening length. His groan is desperate, and I know I've got him right where I want him.

Without warning, I swiftly get up and go sit down at my computer desk to download our game.

"What the fuck," I hear him mumble from the other room.

_Haha, sucker._

"What's that, baby?" I reply innocently.

"Don't 'baby' me. Get your ass back in here. Preferably back on my lap," he responds.

I shiver.

_Oh, the things this man does to me._

"Nah, I'm good."

I stifle the snicker that wants to escape. He's so fun to mess with.

Edward suddenly appears in my doorway, hair in complete disarray from my hands a minute ago. "Just what do you think you're doing sitting in that chair?"

"I'm just downloading the game you wanted to play. You did say you wanted to play, right?"

"Well yeah, but…" he trails off, looking a little lost.

I decide to have mercy on him. "Let me get this started since it has to update and we can play, and later...really play," I say with a wink.

His eyes darken further, and he licks his lips.

_Oh, fuck._

Edward steps through the doorway, and in two long strides, he's behind me. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and goosebumps pop up all over my skin.

"You think it's funny to tease me, little girl?" he whispers hotly in my ear.

Whimpering embarrassingly, I clench my thighs together in anticipation.

"Stand up," he commands.

I don't hesitate.

My chair bangs against the wall after being rolled forcefully out of the way. And then his large hands are on my hips as I lean forward with my hands clutching the edge of the desk, trying to keep myself together.

He doesn't do it often, but I love it when he gets all demanding.

_So hot._

"Please, by all means, don't let me interrupt what you were doing," he snarks by my ear.

I can feel the heat of his body as he bows over mine, not quite touching me, except for his hands still on my hips, squeezing me lightly. One of his warm hands starts to travel up under my t-shirt and soon discovers the bare flesh of my breast. My man is all about the boobs. I know this and use it to my full advantage.

"God, I love it when you don't wear a bra," he grits out as he pinches my nipple.

I gasp at the sensation, feeling the sparks of pleasure radiate through my body.

With his other hand, he pulls me back so that my ass meets his erection forcefully, eliciting loud moans from both of us.

"Well… aren't you going to install your game?" I hear him ask through the haze of lust I'm in.

Loosening my grip on the desk with my right hand, I bring it to the mouse, willing it to stop shaking. As I go to click on the link I need to start downloading, his hands are suddenly withdrawn from my body. I start to turn around to see what happened, but I hear the distinct sound of a zipper being lowered.

_Fuck me._

_Please._

As I continue my task, I feel his hands come back to my waist, and before I can react, my yoga pants and underwear are shoved down around my ankles. Without looking away from my computer screen, I gingerly step out of them and surreptitiously widen my stance a bit, opening my legs for him.

I hear a dark chuckle behind me.

I guess I wasn't so subtle after all.

One hand comes back to my breast, while the other slides around and quickly finds my clit.

"You're _so_ fucking hot, baby," he says before sucking my earlobe into his mouth.

_Shiver_

My husband knows my body well and knows it doesn't take much for me to be ready for him. One finger dips down into my slit, and I hear a quiet "so wet for me" escape his lips.

Closing my eyes, I push back into him, pressing my bare ass against his length, hot and heavy.

_So hard for me._

"Only for you."

Edward pulls his hands back, bringing one to my hip again, the other pressing gently into the middle of my back to bend me over just a bit more, positioning me just the way he wants me.

_Yes._

"Don't forget to click on 'run'," he says suddenly.

I look up, bewildered, not quite understanding what he's saying. All I can think about is him naked behind me, his hands on me.

I look at my monitor and see what he's referring to, so I move the mouse and click the 'run' button to start installing the game.

"Perfect. Now hold on tight, baby."

_Oh, God._

I grip the edge of the desk again half a second before he plunges in with one swift thrust, and I cry out at the delicious intrusion.

He holds my hips as he continues to thrust into me at a furious pace.

He's not gentle.

I don't want him to be.

The only sounds in the room are his panting and occasional expletives and my wanton moans.

I'm not quiet.

He doesn't want me to be.

As Edward's cock continues to pump into me at the perfect pace, I feel my orgasm approaching fast. I need him to stop for a second so I can come.

He knows this.

He doesn't stop.

"Please, baby. I need to…please," I mumble incoherently.

"What do you need, baby?" he grunts out, never slowing.

"Oh, God. _Please_."

I'm desperate.

He doesn't stop.

The building orgasm reaches a fever pitch, and I start emitting high-pitched, keening moans. I feel completely out of control. I know when he does let me come, I'm going to come harder than I have in a long time.

"…gonna come so hard for you, baby," I somehow get my mouth to work long enough to say.

"Fuck, yes. Wanna feel you come all over my cock," he says breathlessly.

He's working hard.

"_Yes._ _Please,_" I cry out.

Edward's thrusts start to become erratic, and I'm finally able to fall over the edge. I clamp down on him like a vise, and with a loud groan, I feel him pulse as he releases into me.

"Fuck, I love you so much," he murmurs against the skin of my neck between puffs of hot breath.

"Mmmm, love you…"

Yeah, my brain is gone.

He stays inside me as long as he can, because I'm still clenching and releasing, riding out the waves of pleasure.

_So good._

When he slips out of me, I whimper at the loss.

I'm insatiable.

He doesn't complain.

After we both hit the bathroom to clean up a bit and come back to find our clothes, I see that the game has finished installing and updating during our fun.

Edward fist-pumps. "Sweet, let's do it!"

He's so cute.

As we sit down to play, I ask, "Did you ever think we'd end up like this? So happily married? I know not many people did, considering how we met."

"Yeah," he says simply, and it makes me love him that much more. "Didn't you?"

"I always hoped we would, but there were times when I wasn't so sure."

He challenges me for a game and replies, "All we needed was a little _Magic_, baby."

I snort at his cheesiness but secretly completely agree.

After all, without _Magic_, we probably never would have found each other.

* * *

><p><strong>I have a part 2 coming, hopefully within the next few days. Thank you all so much for reading! xoxo<strong>


	20. Epilogue Part 2

**Thank you all for leaving me such lovely reviews! I appreciate them all so very much. **

**Enormous thanks go to Twilly, rosellebec, and Nuttyginger for sticking with me for so long and helping me so much with this story.**

**SM owns all things Twilight. All mistakes are mine.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Six Months Later<span>**

"Honey, why didn't you get the 'stand 'n stuff' kind?" I ask impatiently as I examine the yellow box on the counter.

We're having tacos for dinner, and I'm ready to start assembling mine.

"I didn't see them at the store. Sorry," he replies with a shrug.

A shrug! Like it's no big deal.

"They always have them. You should've looked harder." I'm suddenly so irritated with him, I can't even look at him.

"What's the problem? It's a fucking taco shell. Chill out."

_Oh, he's going down._

I give him my best death glare. "Chill out?"

"Yeah, it's not the end of the world," he says nonchalantly while getting cups out for our drinks.

"Whatever." Taking a deep breath, I move to start assembling my tacos. I guess he's right. I just need to calm down. But as I'm walking to the table, one of my tacos falls over on my plate, and most of the contents spill out of it.

I stop and clench my teeth together, breathing harshly through my nose, then continue to the table and sit down. Edward is eyeing me warily because he knows if he had gotten the right taco shells, this wouldn't have happened.

I slowly pick up my fork, raise it high above my head, and then proceed to violently stab everything on my plate until I'm left with what can only be described as taco salad.

When I'm done, I look at Edward's shocked expression and immediately drop my head into my hands and burst into tears.

I don't just have a few tears trickling down my face. I'm full-on bawling.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," I wail.

He pulls one of my hands away from my face and squeezes it in his. "Honey, you're pregnant. It's just your hormones," he says gently.

He wasn't too happy with me earlier, but now he's being sweet since he's figured out that the evil hormones took over my personality for the last 10 minutes.

I calm myself down to a few sniffles and continue to hold his hand for a minute to ground me. He reaches over and wipes the last remaining tears away with his thumb and strokes my cheek.

I sigh.

"Better?" he asks.

"Better. Sorry about that," I say sheepishly.

"It's okay. Although it was a little scary there for a minute. I thought you were about to stab me with your fork."

"The thought did cross my mind," I say with a smile so he knows I'm joking.

Edward laughs and goes back to eating his fully intact tacos. I dig into my taco salad happily.

It's really a miracle that we were able to get pregnant. We had tried for three and a half years with no success.

We eventually discovered that I had a thyroid issue. After getting that treated, I had to get back on birth control because the treatment was a radioactive iodine pill. I wasn't allowed to get pregnant for a year afterward.

I cried my tears for the babies I would never have and continued on with life.

A year after the treatment, I was supposed to go to the gynecologist to get my birth control prescription renewed, but with work and everything, I just didn't make the time to do it.

Three months later, I was at the doctor with a chest cold. The nurse asked when my last menstrual cycle was, as they always do, and it had been several weeks. She asked if I could be pregnant, and I told her I doubted it. My cycles are just irregular. She said she'd run a pregnancy test, just in case, and I didn't think anything more of it.

After I got home, I realized she'd forgotten to run the pregnancy test. For some reason, I felt like I should make sure since they'd given me some strong antibiotics.

I had some old tests in my bathroom that hadn't quite expired yet, so I took one.

I stared at the two solid pink lines for an interminable length of time and then took two more tests.

All positive.

I just remember saying, "Oh, my God," over and over again with my hand over my mouth. I finally pulled myself together and called Edward on his cell. He was just as shocked as I was.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Three Months Later<strong>

"Push!"

"Push!"

"Push!"

_Why the hell are they yelling this at me? It's not like I have a fucking choice._

I bear down and give it everything I've got until I feel sweet relief. Then comes the most incredible sound I could ever hear—my daughter's first wail of dissatisfaction at being thrust into the world.

As they clean all the goo off her on my belly, I just stare at her little pink body. All ten finger and all ten toes, a tuft of what looks like bronze-colored hair on the top of her head, face scrunched up and mouth wide open, screaming.

_I'm in love._

It crashes over me, and I'm drowning in the love I feel for this little girl. It completely overwhelms me, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face if I tried.

The nurses take her to the scale while the doctor works on stitching me up.

_Yeah…fun stuff._

"Nine pounds, fifteen ounces!"

_"Tall women can hide big babies," _my doctor had said.

Apparently so.

I hear a chorus of "whoa" and "big girl!". I'm pretty sure I say "holy shit," but it doesn't matter. She's healthy, and that's all I care about. So what if none of the newborn size clothes we have will fit her? She's beautiful.

Edward leans over and presses his forehead into my temple and says, "You did it, baby. You're amazing."

I smile and blush, because hearing something so sweet and sincere from him always warms me from the inside. I turn my head to kiss him, and then my eyes immediately gravitate back toward our daughter.

They bring her back to me all bundled up like a burrito, and I just stare at her face. Her eyes are actually open, and she's looking up at me calmly.

I hear a camera click, and a big smile spreads my lips. That's going to be a great picture.

Later that evening, I'm resting comfortably. Carlisle and Esme and Charlie, Sue, and Claire have all been by to visit. Edward is holding our baby girl, humming softly to her. I'm not sure he knows any children's songs, so it's probably Led Zeppelin or something, but it doesn't matter.

I can't take my eyes off of them.

There's a short knock on the door before Alice peeks in. I wave her in, and Jasper walks in behind her, followed by Rose and Emmett.

After Alice and Jasper's secret wedding, they still had to do the long distance thing until they figured out all the logistics of combining their lives. It only took about a month and a half. But Alice told me it was _torture_, and she didn't know how Edward and I went so long being apart.

These days, I don't know how we did it either.

Emmett finally manned up about six years ago and asked Rose out. They've been together ever since and have been married over three years now, living happily in Georgetown near the Cullens.

Everyone is in town to welcome our sweet baby into the world, and I couldn't be happier.

Alice is bouncing up and down on her toes, so Edward just chuckles and hands over the baby. He knows she can't wait.

Jasper moves in to give Edward a brotherly hug, and Emmett slaps him on the back.

"Way to get one past the goalie, Ed," Emmett says with a dimply grin.

"So classy," Edward replies, shaking his head and laughing.

He's so happy to be a daddy, I don't think anything could irritate him at this moment.

"So…are you finally going to tell us the name?" Rose asks impatiently.

"Yeah, you can't keep it a secret any longer. We're _dying_ here," says Alice dramatically.

I roll my eyes and smile. "Yes, yes, I know it's been killing you not to know."

Edward clears his throat and says, "This is Kendra Renee Cullen."

My mom passed away the same year we got married, in December. I got the call at 1 AM one night and sobbed for who knows how long, while Edward just wrapped his body around me for support. It didn't matter that we weren't particularly close or that I was somewhat prepared for her death. I still wasn't ready to lose her. She was my mother, after all, and I wanted to honor her in some way.

Alice looks down at our little girl. "Kendra," she says softly, running a fingertip down her tiny nose. "I don't remember you mentioning that name before. Does it have some special meaning?"

I lock eyes with Edward, mine suddenly brimming with tears for some reason. Stupid hormones. We shoot crazy-happy grins at each other and say together, "Magic."

* * *

><p><strong>*wipes tear* This was my very first story, so it's hard for me to say goodbye. I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of you sticking with me for so long. I'll just say it's hard to write a story based on personal events. Harder than making it all up, which surprised me for sure. <strong>

**Our little magic baby is almost three now, and our second child is drooling on me as I'm typing this. :D **

**Anyway, thank you all again so much. It's been a fun ride! :)**


End file.
